Spyro the Dragon God: Shadows of the Past FS
by Rhah the Last Warlord
Summary: BIGGER. BETTER. LESS CONVOLUTED. This is a complete rewrite of "Spyro the Dragon: Shadows of the Past", with brand new chapters and other additions to improve the overall story. FS Final Story. Spyro had always assumed that he was born and raised in the Dragon Realms. However, the Shadow Realm is opening once again...and it is bringing with it some startling revelations...
1. 0: BP: Child of Destruction

Spyro the Dragon God: Final Story

By Rhah the Last Warlord

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Spyro or any related characters that appear in this story; they are owned by Activision Blizzard or whoever owns them now. I own the scenario, some characters, and the plot.

**Plot:** Spyro has always thought that he was a normal dragon born in the Dragon Realms. However, through many strange events that bring even stranger allies and enemies, a brand new story writes itself in his life…a story that will lead him to ultimately write his name in the history books for Eternity.

**Notes:** It's been a long time coming and it's finally happening. After looking over _Shadows of the Past_ and _XIII Scars_, I finally realized just how badly written and retconned those two stories in particular truly are. So in light of that, in order to make myself feel better and provide a much more enriching experience for my readers, I have decided to redo all three stories and rebuild them into one epic. Of course, it won't just be a straight-up rewrite with grammar corrections, as you will soon see. Not much more to say here than please enjoy.

* * *

_Story I: Shadows of the Past_

_ Spyro had always assumed that he was born and raised in the Dragon Realms. Now, with the Shadow Realm reopening and old secrets coming to light that will change the course of his life, the Shadows of the Past seem to be closing in yet again…_

* * *

_Book I: Reviving the Darkness_

**Chapter Ø: Blank Pages – Child of Destruction**

**Author's**** Note:** It may seem weird that the other story is still up, but I'm leaving it there at least until I get to Book II of this rewrite. I don't want to disrupt people who may still be reading that one.

It was a dark night with no clouds in the sky; many stars shone peacefully down in the dim blue sky. The location below the sky, however, was not so serene. It was an island far, far off the coast of the mainland of the Dragon Realms, surrounded by high, jagged rocks and rough seas. It was a place where even Gods wouldn't go without a good reason; in fact, considering the conditions, it was completely feasible that they wanted no one else to go there either. It was an island known as Obsidian Grave and the place didn't look much more hospitable beyond the natural barrier. There were ruins and tombstones everywhere, with an occasional fence or grating separating different sections of stones. Large crystals that shined black and purple colors ripped through the ground in various places and many ruins complemented the utterly desolate atmosphere. The rocks of the cliffs surrounding the general area were of deep blue hues and the grass on the island (wherever there was grass) was actually healthy and green.

A dark figure walked the cobblestone roads that carved through the many areas on the island. He was wearing a black robe with a large hood over his head; the hood completely obscured any vision of his eyes, especially considering that it was zipped closed at the front. The hood had giant ear-like ornaments woven on top of it and two giant red eye designs rounded out the rather disturbing look of the garment. A black hakama stretched down from the robe and was graced with white ropes tied into the sides of both legs. He also wore black shoes with white soles and carried a long, metal rod with a large crystal on its top end; the bottom end was graced by a twisting metal talisman. White hair stretched down from the back of the hood where an opening was and his fingers had claws on them. The being walked soundlessly through the maze of canyons and graveyards, until he reached a cavern that had a stone archway as its entrance. The man brought his hand up and unzipped his hood; he looked at the ancient script scrawled across the arch and smirked.

"Vacañusai Gate…ah, the beauty of the double standard of labeling; _you_ can find it easily, but so can others." The man said.

He walked through and entered a dark cavern; there was absolutely no light, save for whatever the stars could provide through the many holes in the cave ceiling. The light reflected off of tiles on the ground and those tiles where a ghostly white-blue. The man walked for a while until he reached a large door that may have never been meant to be opened; after all, it was sealed with at least nine different types of locks, including chains, padlocks, mana locks, deadbolts and paper seals. Even with all of this however, a dark mist seeped continuously from around the frame. The man simply stared at the door…

"…Why not just put a knocker on it that says 'do not disturb'? It would carry the same significance." The man said, as he charged a magic spell with his staff. "Oh well…_Akinai Liberae!_"

The wizard swung his staff and a soft manifestation of light floated slowly toward the door until it expanded into a large sheet that covered the door frame. The sheet than closed again and took all of the locks with it, leaving a large crumpled sphere on the ground. He smirked and then walked through to behold what the door had been sealing. On a large pedestal in the back of the room was an egg…an egg that was larger than most other dragon eggs. It was a shining black much like the crystals outside of the cave and it had purple blotches on various places. The wizard smiled and walked up to the pedestal, taking the egg in his hands as he did; the object than emitted a strong hostile glow.

"Whoa there boy…calm yourself. I am no enemy; I will be the one to awaken you." The wizard said. The glow around the egg dimmed slightly. "Yes…you crave destruction? You crave chaos? I will allow you to satisfy those cravings…and more."

The wizard tucked his prize into the folds of his robe and exited the room, before dispelling his earlier cast spell to replace all of the locks on the door. As he reached the fields once more, he waved his staff around and caused a transparent platform to appear under his feet. The platform was stamped with a magic glyph. As he floated through the air, the man produced the dark egg and started caressing it with his clawed fingers.

"Now that you are in my position…I have yet more errands to run. But do not worry…soon, I will offer you a delicious soul for you to feast on…so you can terrorize the world as much as you feel…" the man said.

He glided off into the night sky, but back down on the island, another being clad in a robe of his own let a fanged smirk crawl across his maw.

_**End Chapter Zero. Next Chapter, A Hero's Introduction…**_

**Rhah the Last Warlord**: I'm getting that feeling again. Returning to one of my most beloved worlds is a great treat to me; I just hope I can share the joy through a more properly built world this time.


	2. I: Hero's Introduction

Spyro the Dragon God: Final Story

By Rhah the Last Warlord

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Spyro or any related characters that appear in this story; they are owned by Activision Blizzard or whoever owns them now. I own the scenario, some characters, and the plot.

**Plot:** Spyro has always thought that he was a normal dragon born in the Dragon Realms. However, through many strange events that bring even stranger allies and enemies, a brand new story writes itself in his life…a story that will lead him to ultimately write his name in the history books for Eternity.

**Notes:** It's been a long time coming and it's finally happening. After looking over _Shadows of the Past_ and _XIII Scars_, I finally realized just how badly written and retconned those two stories in particular truly are. So in light of that, in order to make myself feel better and provide a much more enriching experience for my readers, I have decided to redo all three stories and rebuild them into one epic. Of course, it won't just be a straight-up rewrite with grammar corrections, as you will soon see. Not much more to say here than please enjoy.

* * *

_Story I: Shadows of the Past_

_ Spyro had always assumed that he was born and raised in the Dragon Realms. Now, with the Shadow Realm reopening and old secrets coming to light that will change the course of his life, the Shadows of the Past seem to be closing in yet again…_

* * *

_Book I: Reviving the Darkness_

**Chapter 1: Hero's Introduction**

The sun shined down on the Artisan Home and its green grasses, marble monuments and large forest groves. It was a perfect warm day, with no clouds in the sky and the laughs and playful screams of young dragons flitting through the air; the beautiful weather invited all of them out for play and exercise…well, all except one. He was a majestic purple dragon who was around fourteen years of age. He sat on the Artisan Fountain with his tail in the water and the sun reflecting off of his golden chest and belly scales. The gold crest on the top of his head resembled a flaming Mohawk and the ridges running down his back were the same color. He also had medium-sized wings with a span of two feet from where they started at his shoulder blades to their end tips. The skeletal structure of his wings was gold with the membranes being an amber hue. His tail was graced with a golden yellow pointed ornament at its end and his eyes were violet and rather large, as they concentrated on the water in the fountain.

"Spyro, you look like a villain sitting by yourself like that. Why don't you join the others in their game?" a small buzzing voice said. Spyro looked and was met with the sight of his glowing yellow dragonfly friend. He wore white gloves and had light blue eyes. Spyro looked at him, then at the young dragons playing, and then back at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't believe in holding back, Sparx. If I play with them, someone is definitely going to get hurt. Keeping in mind that my summer is wearing thin, the last thing I need is my parents being on me about something." Spyro said. Sparx took a moment to digest what his friend said, then gave him a sharp look.

"That's just like you…I shouldn't have expected any other kind of response. I don't know what's worse, your attitude or your flame breath…but, you won't be bored for long, right?" Spyro shuddered after that last statement. The night before, Spyro's father hinted to him that the purple dragon would be going to school privately with the elders as a reward for all of his hard work.

"Reward…yeah, right…" Spyro grumbled. The dragon smacked the water below him. "What's the point in learning magic or any of the other nonsense that I'll most likely have to endure? It's so peaceful; you can taste the wind blowing by!" Spyro hopped off of the fountain and started walking home.

"You and I both know that peace never lasts. Just think how quickly you can dispatch your enemies with magic."

"It's not that the idea of magic doesn't impress me; it's the fact that the word 'school' is tagged in there somewhere."

"You can't avoid going to school as much as you would like to."

"No, but I can try."

Sparx chuckled at the last comment and the two picked up speed as they made their way to the palace in the distance. In every home of the Dragon Realms, there were supervisors that kept watch over the home and made sure everyone was safe; they were guardians, if you will. Spyro's parents, especially his father being as eccentric and flamboyant as he was, volunteered to be the guardians of the Artisan Home and that pretty much resulted in Spyro and Sparx being able to live in the lavish Artisae Emeraldis, a large palace that rested on a hill preceded by a garden full of a multi colored flowers. The palace itself was made of smooth marble with shining emerald towers. There were also battlements and gratings in some area, giving the place a more foreboding appearance that betrayed its actual atmosphere. Spyro had mixed feelings about living in a large palace that had six showers, but he definitely didn't complain.

Soon after going inside, Spyro encountered his mother. She was standing near a window, watering the white flowers that she loved. Her name was Archema and she was of a light violet hue; she wore a diamond necklace that reflected the sunlight as it danced through the window. She also wore a sapphire ring near her tail tip and wonderful aqua green hair flowed down from her head and stopped near the point where her tail came out. The membranes of her wings were a dark yellow like her horns and the membranes were a light amber hue. The ridges running down her back were also dark yellow along with the large maple leaf ornament on her tail tip and her chest and belly.

"Hello, Spyro. How is my little prince doing today?" Archema said. She knelt down and rubbed her child's head.

"Well, I didn't hurt anyone today…so I'd say that I'm doing pretty good, Mother." Spyro said. Archema giggled at the comment.

"That's great, my child…ah yes, your father wanted to speak to you. He's in the study."

Spyro cocked his head but didn't think too much of it; considering the tone in his mother's voice it didn't seem like he was in any kind of trouble. However, the dragon that was Spyro's father was a notorious spaz so being around him was never really pleasant for the purple dragon. However, he smiled at his mother and then went off to the study as Archema went back to tending her miniature garden.

As he reached the study, Spyro sat down as his father was pretty much standing in the center of the floor. The dragon was a proud looking one of a blue hue with gold horns and chest and belly. He had rather large wings with red orange skeletons and membranes; the crest on his head extended into wavy ridges down his back to where his tail started and his tail ended in a gold lightning bolt. His eyes were an intense orange and they burned into Spyro as he gave him a proud grin. He wore a ring on his left ring finger and markings on all of his fingers. He picked up the purple dragon with his muscular arms and sat him on his shoulder.

"Spyro, my son…I have thinking very hard about our previous agreement and I have come to the conclusion that…" Sachés started. Spyro's face lit up as he silently prayed that his father had changed his mind. Sparx looked at his friend and shook his head. "…that this is the greatest idea I have ever had!"

"Father, I really don't see why I should learn magic if I probably won't need it in the long run." Spyro said. Sachés gave his son a glare before setting him down on a nearby chair.

"Listen here, my son. I want you to be unique in ways that won't repel your friends."

"I barely have any friends…"

"Exactly! I mean, you have Sparx but…" Sachés looked at Sparx for a bit. "…well, you have Sparx."

"Hey!" Sparx said.

"No offense to you, little guy. In fact, I commend you for being able to stick around this one for as long as you have! Never the less, Spyro, through all of the wonderful adventures you've gone on, your mother and I have realized we have been neglecting your education…"

"But—" Spyro was cut off by Sachés accusing finger being stuck into his face. His father was in "don't-interrupt-me" mode.

"Silence, Spyro the Dragon! You will show that you are unique and you will train with the elders starting tomorrow! Do I make myself clear?"

Spyro started to argue, but he discarded the idea. He remembered the last time he argued with his father; the result was that Spyro had to reorganize the entire study in alphabetical order. The purple dragon looked at all of the books and then looked back at his father.

"…crystal, sir…" Spyro grumbled.

In his room, Spyro was lying in his bed. He spat a fireball into the air, caught it as it fell and spat it again. His arms were behind his head and when he caught the fireball again, he swallowed it; the dragon looked out the window and narrowed his eyes at the setting sun. It seemed to count down the minutes until Spyro's summer was over and as it did, the dragon felt empty inside. He knew his friends were leaving as soon as the summer was over and he also knew that he would surrender to his father's will and take "special" classes with the elders. As he came to terms with his ultimate fate, Spyro rolled over in his bed and threw his face into one of his large pillows, apparently cursing his fate.

"You know, you can't argue with your father; he's crazy and _really_ scary when he gets mad." Sparx said.

"Yeah…I know firsthand how bad of an idea it is to argue with Father. After my first experience with his temper, I don't ever want to see another book in my life. That whole experience put a strong impulse in me; I can't bear to see a book out of place in a library…" Spyro said. Sparx chuckled at the comment and then got serious again.

"Also…you know as well as I do that it won't be nearly as bad as you think."

"That…I doubt. I've never misplaced my judgment. One time, Father volunteered to cook and for some reason, Mother let him. I immediately ran to her and begged her to either stop him or sneak us to a restaurant in Town Square. The one thing I will always protest is the idea of Father cooking anything; it's a fate worse than death."

"…in any case, tomorrow's the day, am I right?"

"…yeah…yeah, it is. I should get some rest…I've got a long day ahead of me…"

Those were Spyro's last words before he closed the curtains of his windows somewhat and flopped on his bed, punching his pillow and then sleeping shortly after. Sparx hung over his dragon friend and shook his head before fluttering over to a perch near Spyro's head where he also fell asleep. The sky was graced with a bright blue moon and many stars that lined into countless constellations; it was a perfect way to end the summer…

* * *

…or not. Far off from the coasts of any of the dragon homes, way above Obsidian Grave and the waters around it known as the Sea of Ancient Storm Dragons was a floating island; the land mass was graced with tall stone columns and an elaborate altar with many magic glyphs carved into it. A violent storm was raging over the island and the surrounding waters. The same cloaked wizard walked across this island and he stopped as he reached both the center of the altar…and an ornate greatsword embedded into the center of the structure. The blade was a deep sapphire color with gold lines engraved into it. The guard was a vertical circle with a single slash mark going down that formed the grip. A large ruby was embedded into the pommel and four silver dragon wings extended horizontally from the guard.

"Ah, Spirayoma…it's been a long time, hasn't it?" the wizard said. "…I apologize for this. Hmph!"

The wizard kicked Spirayoma out of its resting place and before it clattered to the ground, it disappeared in a flurry of white feathers. Black lightning and mist started arcing out from the hole where the sword was embedded and as lightning flashed from the heavens, red eyes could be seen gleaming inside of the man's hood.

"Hmm, hmm, ha, ha…oh, those lovely dragons…they will lose all semblance of that hideous pride of theirs by the time I'm done…ha, ha, ha…" the wizard said. He laughed further as black clouds swirled just above the island…

* * *

"Awaken, my child!" Sachés said.

Spyro's eyes immediately opened at light speed and he rose just as fast. In a reflex, he breathed a stream of flame in the general direction that he was facing and it made contact with his father's chest. However, the aforementioned dragon's chest merely absorbed the flame and he rubbed the area where it hit.

"You'll need to work on that too. I swear, I barely felt that flame, Spyro." Sachés said. Spyro rubbed his temples and looked out the window.

"Um, father…_the sun hasn't even risen!_" Spyro roared. Sachés simply grinned and rubbed the purple dragon's messy Mohawk.

"My son…the early dragon catches the fodder. Now get up, before we have to use my way."

Sachés strode out of the room, assumedly to go back to his own bed. Spyro nearly clawed his eyes out and then he threw his face into his pillow, letting out a mix of a scream and a bellow that had so much effort put into it that flame flew from the dragon's mouth and into the pillow. Spyro removed his face from his pillow and the grating fangs along with the shivering and bloodshot eyes were all clear indications of his mood. The purple dragon let out a harsh sigh and licked his paw before running it through his crest, instantly straightening it. He then walked out of his room and started making his way to the front foyer.

"_Argh_…this sucks! Getting up before freaking _dawn_ just to go to school. I don't care how special these classes are, this is a load of bull." Spyro grumbled.

He cursed and swore all the way to the door, at which point he opened it and strode out. Soon after, he encountered a large blue dragon looking at a pocket watch. There were two large gold bracelets around his wrists and in one hand, he held a long gold staff with a translucent magenta gem at its top. He had a long white beard and large majestic wings with blue for the skeletal structure and amber for the membranes. His horns were the same color as Spyro's and were of medium length; he also wore a large gold crystal amulet around his neck that extended out into a purple cape with gold patterns that draped over his shoulders. His eyes were an honest emerald. He outstretched a hand and the younger dragon sat up and shook it.

"Greetings…you must be Spyro. I have heard much about your exploits against the forces of evil and I am highly impressed, Young Master. I am personally honored to have you as a student at our prestigious dojo. I am Elder Tomas and I am just one of your instructors. Come; let us go." Tomas said.

Spyro remained silent and simply followed Tomas as he started walking. Neither one spoke as they went and Spyro was secretly wondering about the Elder Dragon; it was around five in the morning but he showed no signs of fatigue. After their silent walk, they reached a short altar; Tomas raised his staff and the gem emitted a calm glow. The altar reacted and a portal appeared that gave off the same glow as the Elder's staff. Tomas gestured for Spyro to enter and he did, with Tomas close behind. The portal then vanished and silence was returned to the Artisan Home…

* * *

The realm that presented itself before Spyro left him rather impressed. It was quiet, with few other noises audible besides the sounds of crickets and small birds. A creek also ran through the area, lending another pleasant piece of ambience to the already relaxing soundtrack. Many different types of flowers grew around the area, with green grass complementing the cobblestone roads. In the distance in the general direction Tomas and Spyro were heading was the Dragon Dojo. It was a large building that looked as though it had many rooms considering its expansive structure. The main structure of the building was made with a type of wood that was a vibrant red in color and the many columns were supported by metal sections. As they reached it, Tomas and Spyro opened the large double doors and entered the building.

Inside, the two soon came to a large room with many windows and exits to other sections of the dojo. On the opposite side of the room, stood five other Elder Dragons; Tomas lined himself up with them and Spyro examined each one. The first after Tomas was slender in figure and had magic glyphs tattooed across her entire body. She was a light pink dragon with small bracelets and a slender cape trailing behind her. After her was a turquoise dragon of similar build, though his cape was somewhat wider. He also had a scar across his eye. Next was a dragon of a magenta hue but with a slightly wider build (more fat than muscle); he had rings on six out of ten fingers and a ring on his tail. He also had a wider cape and a shield strapped to his arm. After him was a truly muscular dragon of a dim orange tint; he had scars all over his body and a boulder-like ornament on the end of his tail. He lacked a cape, but wore tight bracers on his wrists. The last dragon was of similar build but wore a rope around his waist and had a thick beard along with a thin yellow hue.

"From left to right, Young Master…Elder Cho-Lei will be teaching you in the arts of defensive and offensive magic. You will be honing your breath abilities with Elder Astor. The very…unique Elder Magnus will be teaching you in the arts of Dragonian defense. Elder Titan will be teaching you in the arts of honing your inner strength and finally, Elder Sensei will be teaching you in the ways of martial arts." Tomas said. He stepped forward. "I myself will be teaching you in the arts of general magic."

Spyro smiled, but then Elder Titan stepped forward and stared down at him; he had a harsh gleam in his eyes.

"So, you are the dragon everyone calls Spyro? Hah! I was expecting someone who looked much more…worthy of the title of hero!" Titan said.

Spyro stayed silent but closed his eyes and was clearly scowling. Titan's eyes flashed open and he threw a punch at the purple dragon; it was covered in a thin red aura. Spyro suddenly opened his own eyes and brought both his paws up; he stopped Titan's fist cold. The orange elder threw another punch, but Spyro jumped and landed on his fist; the purple dragon lunged forward and swung his tail, but Titan jumped back and then stood straight. Spyro landed on the ground and stood on all fours again, growling at the Elder.

"Ah, yes…you are definitely worth my time!" Elder Titan said.

"Hmm…it looks like the dragon is already trained." Elder Magnus said.

"It seems so…thank you Titan for that wonderfully pointless endeavor." Elder Cho-Lei said. Then she stopped cold and started looking around slowly. "…everyone…I'm sensing an extremely dark presence!"

"What? How could it have possibly pierced the boundary?" Elder Tomas said.

"We should worry about that later…" Elder Astor said.

A swirling portal of darkness appeared on the top step of the front foyer and the dark wizard appeared from it; he held his staff in one hand and the dark egg in another.

"Who are you? How dare you defile this place!" Elders Titan and Sensei said.

"Calm down, dragons; I simply dropped by for a visit…" the wizard started. His eyes bobbed around in his hood and they settled on Spyro. "…heh, heh…nothing like revisiting the past, eh Spyro?"

"What are even talking about? I don't even know you!" Spyro said.

"Ah yes, you don't…I guess we'll fix that sooner or later…"

"Enough with the cryptic chat! Reveal yourself, demon!" Magnus said.

"…not now. You'll know me soon enough…in any case, I'm sure you know this already, but I just want to remind you; Spyro is a very powerful dragon. I suggest you guys be very careful with him…take care of him until I can pick him up later. More immediately, though, I have such a surprise for you all!"

"…surprise?" Elder Cho-Lei said.

"Indeed. You know that old sword that was placed in the center of the Yasu Shrine?" all of the Elders gasped in horror.

"You fool! There is no way you could have removed the sacred blade, Spirayoma! Such action would surely result in a grave tragedy befalling all of us!" Elder Cho-Lei said.

"What's Spirayoma?" Spyro asked. Elder Tomas turned to him.

"Spirayoma is a special blade that used to belong to a Draconian God. It was used to kill a dark dragon who tapped into the power of the Shadow Realm and it also sealed the Realm itself. That blade prevents the evils of the Shadow Realm from leaking out and holds a massive amount of the dark dragon's power within."

As soon as Elder Tomas finished his explanation, the land around them started to quake and a torrential storm suddenly brewed. Without saying much of anything, the six Elders used their combined magical power to project a barrier around the dojo, protecting it from the incoming dark influence. Spyro rushed to a nearby window and was shocked at what he saw; beyond the mountains, he could see the Artisan Home slowly coming under the influence of the evil power. The grass was turning purple, the rocks black and large purple lightning bolts were striking from the dark cloud that was quickly forming, birthing hideous monsters. The purple dragon turned toward the wizard; a look of pure hatred was present in his eyes. Against the protesting orders of the Elder Dragons, Spyro dashed toward his foe and jumped high into the air, before coming back down in an attempt to claw his enemy. The wizard easily guarded the attack with his staff and he looked into the dragon's eyes.

"Your hatred…it's delectable…" the wizard whispered.

"What?" Spyro said.

The enemy swatted Spyro away with his staff and spun around, blasting a large dark fireball toward the purple dragon. It moved too fast for any of the Elders to react to. The moment Spyro made contact with the ground, the fireball was already on its way and came within inches of his body…

"_Spyro!_" came a voice.

A glass-like barrier appeared before the purple dragon and protected him from the lethal magic. Everyone wore looks of astonishment and confusion…except the wizard; he was smirking. A bright column of white light shined down from the heavens, through the dojo and into the room just in front of Spyro. The wizard dashed forward, bringing his hand back; he then brought it forward again, with a blade of evil energy protruding from it. He swung and a loud clashing sound was heard…but he didn't hit the barrier. White feathers were flitting through the room and the wizard saw that he was clashing with an elegant blue dragon.

The dragon was a foot or so taller than Spyro and an inch or so shorter than the wizard; he had elegant red-orange hair flowing from his head that went slightly past his neck. The hair was slightly spiky and seemed to glow even though there was no light in the room. His long and large horns were silver and they matched the colors of his chest and belly. Beautiful, white feathery wings were apparent on his back and he wore a large silver bracelet with a single chain on his right wrist. Markings that shimmered in the nonexistent light graced his back and arms and there was a V-shaped ornament on the end of his tail. He also sported a shining gold necklace and was of moderately muscular build. The dragon was also standing on his hind legs. He was guarding against the wizard with the same sword that had been removed from the altar.

"Ho, hum…well, what do we have here? Why would a wonderful Dragon God like Mr. Spira be in this neck of the woods?" the wizard said. Spira swung his blade, sending his enemy back a few meters. The room was also filled with a powerful gust of wind.

"Oh you know…I heard the opening of the Shadow Realm and thought, 'oh, that bastard Seroth must be causing trouble again'. You idiot! Do you have any idea—?" Spira said.

"What I've done? Of course I do, dear boy, otherwise I wouldn't have done it. Seriously."

"With the opening of that hellish place, you've put a countdown on the denizens of this world! You'd better get out of my way and stay out of my way!"

"…you do know that you've lost a bulk of your power in the last two thousand years, right? Your threats are as empty as your head."

Spira's red eyes shrunk and he roared before dashing at Seroth, bearing his azure blade. The latter dodged the impending vertical strike then jumped over the horizontal one and countered with a dark lightning spell straight to the Dragon God's face. Spira staggered back and whipped his head around, firing a powerful blue fireball in the process; Seroth's eyes widened before he teleported, leaving the fireball to demolish one of the dojo walls. The blue dragon blew steam from his nostrils in frustration and focused on the rubble that he caused; his eyes gave off a calm glow before he moved his hand from left to right, causing the wall to be instantly repaired. Spira smiled and then walked toward Spyro; the purple dragon didn't move.

"Spyro…I…" Spira started.

The Dragon God then gripped his forehead and dropped Spirayoma on the ground; the blade hit with a loud thud. The blue dragon collapsed on top of Spyro, but before he could actually touch him, he disappeared into a flurry of white feathers. For a moment, the purple dragon was confused, but then white lightning arced all across his body and he too collapsed. Elder Tomas immediately ran to his side and lifted him into his arms.

"Spyro! Young Master, awaken!" Tomas said.

Spyro didn't stir but the Elder Dragons knew that there were bigger problems to worry about: the Shadow Realm.

_**End Chapter One. Next Chapter, Black Storm…**_


	3. II: Black Storm

Spyro the Dragon God: Final Story

By Rhah the Last Warlord

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Spyro or any related characters that appear in this story; they are owned by Activision Blizzard or whoever owns them now. I own the scenario, some characters, and the plot.

**Plot:** Spyro has always thought that he was a normal dragon born in the Dragon Realms. However, through many strange events that bring even stranger allies and enemies, a brand new story writes itself in his life…a story that will lead him to ultimately write his name in the history books for Eternity.

**Notes:** It's been a long time coming and it's finally happening. After looking over _Shadows of the Past_ and _XIII Scars_, I finally realized just how badly written and retconned those two stories in particular truly are. So in light of that, in order to make myself feel better and provide a much more enriching experience for my readers, I have decided to redo all three stories and rebuild them into one epic. Of course, it won't just be a straight-up rewrite with grammar corrections, as you will soon see. Not much more to say here than please enjoy.

* * *

_Story I: Shadows of the Past_

_ Spyro had always assumed that he was born and raised in the Dragon Realms. Now, with the Shadow Realm reopening and old secrets coming to light that will change the course of his life, the Shadows of the Past seem to be closing in yet again…_

* * *

_Book I: Reviving the Darkness_

**Chapter 2: Black Storm**

"_No…it's not fair…why you…why you…WHY YOU?"_

"WHOA!"

Spyro awoke and he was in a bed, covered in warm sheets. The purple dragon rubbed his temples but immediately stopped and ran for the nearest window. He looked and confirmed it all wasn't a horrid nightmare; the lands below the mountain range were covered in a disgusting dark haze and strange monsters were running amok everywhere. Spyro cursed to himself and charged for the door without any kind of plan. Luckily for him, a blue mist overcame his body and formed into the Dragon God, Spira. Spyro immediately bumped into him and hit the floor; the God simply stood and stared at him with a look that would suggest he was staring right through the purple dragon.

"…you're that dragon that saved me…" Spyro said. He shook his head and his attitude quickly changed. "Why the hell are you standing in my way? I have to—!"

"_You have to what? Die a miserable death?_" Spira said. His voice boomed off of the walls and immediately calmed Spyro with the help of his words. The blue dragon shook his head. "…I apologize, but you can't just go out there and expect to help anyone."

"…so what can I do?"

"Let me start with a more proper introduction. My name is Spira and you are Spyro. I am the Dragon God that used my sacred sword, Spirayoma to seal the Shadow Realm two thousand years ago. More than that, I also managed to seal a great amount of the Dark Spirit's power away as well…"

"Dark Spirit? You mean the dark dragon?"

"They're the same. In any case, I would just charge out there and fix all of this immediately, but compared to what I used to be, I am extremely weak right now. I can only sustain my existence here and now because I'm kinda using your soul to solidify my existence in this plane."

"My soul? Are you kidding?"

"Don't worry; there's a lot of room in there, so there's enough soul for both of us. Gods like me also draw power from mortals like you believing in our existence and our power, so I'm also drawing power from the Elders to allow me to fight. Are you following so far?"

"Yeah…I understand so far."

"Good. Basically, what we need to do right now is go out there and banish the darkness from the Artisan Home, but as you are now, there is no way you'll be able to do that and save the captured dragons…"

"Wait, captured dragons? So that means my parents and Sparx are held up in some magic cage?"

Spira answered with a slow nod and Spyro immediately ran past him and out the door. The blue dragon followed the purple one and they were soon in the front foyer again, where the Elder Dragons were. Spyro attempted to zip past them, ignoring both their warnings and Spira's but Tomas stopped him at the door.

"What are you doing? I have to go to the Artisan's and save everyone!" Spyro said, completely disregarding Spira's earlier words.

"And how do you expect to save anyone without the proper training, Spyro the Dragon?" Elder Tomas shot back. Spyro gritted his fangs and pounded his fist on the ground.

"Look Spyro, we know you want to go save everyone, but it's impossible with your current abilities. These are completely different beasts you are dealing with now. You have to learn some martial arts and magic before you can expect to stand a chance." Elder Cho-Lei said.

"They're right, you know." Spira started. Everyone looked at him, with the Elders bowing down before Spira instructed them to stand. "However, you guys have to give him the nitty-gritty and save the complex stuff for later. The longer we take, the further the shadows spread."

"If you don't mind me asking, My Lord, why don't you just banish the shadows? You are a God after all." Elder Astor said.

"Because I don't have enough power to do that on my own. Spyro has to help by lending me his strength and he can only do that by being able to survive out there!"

"Alright, then let's quit with the dialogue and give purple boy the…crash course…" Titan said, smacking his fists together.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the former Artisan's, Seroth was walking around the fields, caressing the dark egg with his claws. The dark mist rolled off of his robe and he smiled a gentle smile at the object…that object that was the only barrier between the world and the Child of Destruction.

"Tell me; did you see anyone that you liked?" Seroth said. He paused. "Yes…I figured you'd gravitate to him. Once I awaken you, those pitiful dragons will learn to regret…and not to forget. The chaotic power that nearly destroyed them two thousand years ago will be revived and they…will…all…die. I'm getting ahead of myself, however…I still need Spyro in order to perform the final ritual…but I can work that out later."

Seroth smiled and his eyes glowed under his hood as he stared at the egg.

"Ha, ha, haa…it will be so _fun_ when you wake up. We can be friends and tell each other's secrets. Ooh, you start now…what is your biggest secret?" Seroth said.

The egg gave off a sinister glow and a light rain started to a fall from the dark skies…

* * *

Meanwhile back at the dojo, Spyro was lying on the ground taking deep breaths. He was being worked to the ultimate extent; learning martial arts from Titan and Sensei, magic from Cho-Lei, general magic from Tomas, defensive skills from Magnus and breath enhancements from Astor all at pretty much the same time was not easy on his body. Spira stood over him with his arms folded; the God smirked at the purple dragon.

"At least they're only teaching you basic stuff; we'd have to be here longer for more advanced techniques." Spira said.

"Hagh…hagh…how am I supposed to fight anything when I'm completely wiped? Considering I have to learn all of this just to have a chance to survive…I'm slightly worried…" Spyro said.

"Fear is a natural part of being a warrior, Young Master. However, it is facing that fear and using it to work for you that truly determines your effectiveness." Elder Tomas said. Spyro raised his eyebrow and Spira helped him off of the ground.

"Alright then…in that case, I'm going now. If I don't come back…well, you should probably make funeral plans."

Spyro left the dojo with Spira close behind and the sound of the portal being used was the last thing the Elder Dragons heard. Tomas closed his eyes and looked out the window…

* * *

In the Artisan's, Spyro stood on a tall hill overlooking his darkened home. Thick purple vines sprouted from both the earth and any houses that were still standing. What really caught the dragon's eye however, were the magic prisons that held many a dragon. Spyro felt a wave of anger washing over him as he looked across the land; that anger completely overwrote his fears, but it was also doing something else to his soul…

"Seroth is around here somewhere…" Spira said. He drew Spirayoma and looked at Spyro. "Look, Spyro…no matter what Seroth says to you, you have to keep yourself under control."

"What do you mean?" Spyro said.

"He wants to use you to revive the Dark Spirit of Vacañusai, the netherworld. In order to do that, he needs to breed the evil inside of that egg that he constantly carries around inside of you."

"So if I show anger or anything like that…"

"It creates a void in your soul that the Dark Spirit can quickly occupy."

"Fair enough. Let's go!"

Not really knowing whether or not Spyro actually took in anything that the blue dragon said to him, Spira followed the purple dragon as he took off for the central area. They reached the area in a few minutes and when they did, the dragons set their eyes on a group of six monsters. They were each rather fat with jagged horns on their slender heads. They had four red eyes and their dark purple bodies were complemented by black markings. In the center of the group was Seroth; he was still caressing that egg, scraping it gently with his claws. He looked at the two dragons before him and smiled.

"Hello, Spira…and Spyro! Wow Spira, this is quite nice of you; bringing the purple dragon to me was so generous…" Seroth said.

"Do you ever shut up? Dammit Seroth, you know as well as I do that the Dark Spirit is nothing to be controlled! If you release it…!" Spira said.

"Who ever said anything about controlling?" Seroth looked down at the egg and started rubbing it around his cheek. "The Dark Spirit and I will be the best of friends…and I will enjoy watching him subjugate this horrible world."

"You act like we're gonna let you…" Spyro growled.

"…you really have no choice. You're just a purple dragon with no real combat training and him…he's a powerless God who simply likes to prove how big and bad he is. Perhaps if you were awakened…"

"_Seroth!_"

Spira dashed at the group of monsters sword in hand and Spyro followed suit. Seroth sent his monsters forward and the battle began. Spira started the assault by easily cutting one of the monsters, known as Shadow Maiyers, clean down the middle. Spyro dodged a claw swipe and then wacked the monster over the head with his tail in a tail hammer attack. After that, he whipped around and slashed the monster across the face with his claws. The blue Dragon God slashed two more with his sword and unleashed a holy breath attack that took them down. The purple dragon dodged two more attacks and stood on his left arm, swinging his tail to cut two Maiyers across their faces. Spyro then jumped up and axe-kicked the both of them, destroying them.

Seeing all of the monsters killed, Spira smiled at Spyro and then charged toward Seroth. The wizard brought his staff up, guarding against the incoming vertical slash and kicked Spira square in the gut. The attack was surprisingly effective, sending the blue dragon careening across the ground and giving him trouble standing. Spyro charged to Spira's defense, attempting a jumping horizontal tail spin attack. Seroth simply ducked, temporarily dropped his staff and gave Spyro a harsh uppercut, sending him skyward and quickly back to the ground. The wizard taunted both dragons and then dodged left as Spira tried to rake him with his claws; Seroth responded by grabbing the Dragon God by the neck and slamming him to the ground, afterward spinning him diagonally (slamming him to the ground multiple times in the process) and tossing him toward the Artisae Emeraldis. Spira hit the palace and then the ground, not stirring afterward.

"Spira…" Spyro said.

"I could've told him that would happen…" Seroth said. Spyro glared at him. "I tried to tell him he was weak, but…you know how nobody listens to you when they know you're right?"

"Shut the hell up, you bastard! I'm gonna send you back to the hole that you crawled out of!" Spyro roared.

"You know, you should get some help with that anger. Oh well, it's doing nothing but helping me…but we do need to ramp it up a little, don't we?"

Seroth smirked and then waved his hand around the air, collecting the dark mist into a solid mass. He tossed it up and it hit the ground shortly afterward, dispersing in the process. Soon after, the ground started to violently shake before a fissure opened up…and a monster clawed its way out of the flaming pit. It had a facial structure similar to a big cat and a dark purple body complemented with black accents and a red chest and belly. It had huge horns that bent forward and a mane of red and purple colors; its limbs were thick with muscle and a tail that stretched down and exhumed power. A large fin ran down its back and ended at the tail tip. It looked down on Spyro with its beady red eyes and called a wealth of fear from deep within the purple dragon.

Spyro had been confronted with a Dark Behemoth.

_**End Chapter Two. Next Chapter, Cold Blood…**_


	4. III: Cold Blood

Spyro the Dragon God: Final Story

By Rhah the Last Warlord

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Spyro or any related characters that appear in this story; they are owned by Activision Blizzard or whoever owns them now. I own the scenario, some characters, and the plot.

**Plot:** Spyro has always thought that he was a normal dragon born in the Dragon Realms. However, through many strange events that bring even stranger allies and enemies, a brand new story writes itself in his life…a story that will lead him to ultimately write his name in the history books for Eternity.

**Notes:** It's been a long time coming and it's finally happening. After looking over _Shadows of the Past_ and _XIII Scars_, I finally realized just how badly written and retconned those two stories in particular truly are. So in light of that, in order to make myself feel better and provide a much more enriching experience for my readers, I have decided to redo all three stories and rebuild them into one epic. Of course, it won't just be a straight-up rewrite with grammar corrections, as you will soon see. Not much more to say here than please enjoy.

* * *

_Story I: Shadows of the Past_

_ Spyro had always assumed that he was born and raised in the Dragon Realms. Now, with the Shadow Realm reopening and old secrets coming to light that will change the course of his life, the Shadows of the Past seem to be closing in yet again…_

* * *

_Book I: Reviving the Darkness_

**Chapter 3: Cold Blood**

Spyro shook his head slowly as he stared at the Dark Behemoth that was peering down on him. His eyes kept wandering between the horns, the legs and the beady red eyes. The dragon shook his fear away and gave Seroth a nasty look.

"You…" Spyro started.

"Monster? Demon? Cretin, maybe? There are many words you could use to insult me, but I'm not interested in your anger at the moment. Go, you lumbering beastie, you!" Seroth said.

The Dark Behemoth gave a roar and then leapt at Spyro; the latter cursed to himself and quickly jumped out of the way of an incoming giant paw. Spyro landed and glared at his enemy, before dodging another behemoth pounce. It was then that the dragon went on the offensive and attempted a tail slam on the beast's head; however, Spyro's attack bounced right off and the monster responded by unleashing a concentrated mass of evil energy from its maw. The ball exploded as it hit Spyro and easily sent the purple dragon to the ground. He tried to regain fast enough but in the end was hit once more, except this time with the beast's tail. The dragon flew into a rock and cracked it on impact before he slowly fell to the ground.

"Hagh…hagh…my attacks just bounce off of this freak! Spira, why did you have to pass out now…" Spyro said.

Not long after he said that did a massive blue fireball sail through the air and strike the behemoth in the head. The dark beast roared in pain and then staggered before falling to the ground. Spyro looked over in the direction of the flame's origin and…

"Spira!" Spyro said.

"Hmm…how cute…" Seroth said.

Spira was barely holding himself up, even with the help of Spirayoma. He looked paler than Spyro remembered and it seemed as though he would fall unconscious any moment. However, the Dark Behemoth didn't give him the time to do even that, as it jumped back on its feet and charged at the Dragon God with its horns lowered. It caught Spira between its horns and executed a heave attack, throwing the blue dragon skyward. The monster than blasted a mass of dark energy at him, causing him to fall and crash to the ground. Spyro looked with widened eyes as he witnessed a thick, pale white liquid start oozing from Spira's body. A wealth of feelings started welling up from deep within the purple dragon's heart…as though he knew Spira for an eternity. Through all of the emotions, only one word could come up that would represent them.

"Spira!' Spyro said. The purple dragon then directed his rage toward… "Seroth…!"

"Don't look at me like that. I told you, Spira is weak. Scratch that; he is weak and stupid. I tried so hard to tell him to stay home, but he just had to ignore me. He's an idiot and probably deserves to lie on the ground, oozing God pudding." Seroth said.

"_Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! I will __KILL_ _you for what you've done, you evil piece of trash!_"

"…ouch. Hey, Spyro; think fast."

Seroth tossed the egg up and then toward Spyro; the object struck the purple dragon right in the head. It cracked upon the hit and a disgusting mass of black slime and gas seeped from the egg. Spyro looked and the black mess formed into the silhouette of a hideous creature. The mass forced its way into Spyro's body through his nose, his mouth and his eyes; less than a moment later, the purple dragon began to violently scream and thrash about. He gripped his head and actually dug small gashes in with his claws. His eyes slowly filled with black and his pupils were flooded red as he confronted a black dragon deep within his subconscious. The dragon was staring down on Spyro as it was much larger than he was; it sneered at him with its fangs and those fangs dripped with a liquid that seemed to burn Spyro as it touched him.

"G-get out of me…get o-out…!" Spyro said. He lost his breath as the dragon pounded his chest with its large paw.

"_Mikinaiga…osoru no gaiken kah…weiss nak nakamu no kaos!_" the dragon growled.

"W-what do you want…w-with m-me…?"

"_Heneskah velak Lucid…nebenaiga iero!_"

Back in reality, Spyro finally stopped screaming but his body began to transform. A thick black ink-like slime crawled across his body, coating his purple scales into a cosmic black that was so dark that certain areas were more so blue because the black couldn't get any darker in shadowed areas. His Mohawk burst into a white mane that stretched down his back and flowed near his cheeks; the fur had sky blue highlights and seemed to glow as it danced around. His horns grew out and curved toward his nose, changing to a silver hue. Pale white runes and markings appeared all over his body and his wings grew much larger with a wingspan of more than ten feet between their edges; those wings were also graced with pale white stripes and flame designs on the membranes. His tail grew out and a large crescent moon graced its end. His chest and belly were silver and his claws gained some length. His legs and chest gained noticeable muscle, rivaling that of the Dark Behemoth's; his eyes lost all white, becoming black pools of darkness with red irises with no light in them. He grew to a height of at least a foot taller than Seroth, and that was just on all fours.

The black dragon stamped its feet and stood proud before letting out a roar that shook and cracked the ground around it, along with rattling the very air. A thick dark aura stormed around the dragon and purple lightning could occasionally be seen sparking from the aura and striking the ground. Spira awoke at that horrible sound and looked over in the direction that it came from; his eyes shrunk in horror.

"No! Spyro…dammit…the Dark Spirit…" Spira said, as he forced himself to stand.

"Yes…yes! He has been awakened! The Draconian Spirit of Darkness and Corruption, Lucid!" Seroth said. Spira could only growl in frustration; there was no way he was in any condition to fight Lucid. "Now then…come to me, Lucid…the one who awakened you from that dreadful slumber."

Lucid looked at Seroth…and responded to him with a subtle roar of defiance. The Dark Spirit then jumped at the Dark Behemoth, leaving a shallow crater in his wake. He raised his paw and outstretched his claws; when he swung them, however, a wave of blood red and black energy traced the path of his claws. The evil claw attack cut straight through the Dark Behemoth's chest and sent it crashing to the ground. Lucid looked at his pathetic prey and flew toward the ground. He landed, causing a tremor and cracking the ground, before rushing toward his victim and using the same attack to cut off one of the monster's legs. A waterfall of blood flowed from the fresh cut, giving Lucid the only reason he needed to feed. The monstrous dragon listened to the cries of the behemoth with pleasure, before he flew back up and started charging a mass of energy in his mouth. The dark dragon fired and it dispersed into six masses of energy; each one hit the behemoth and exploded on impact.

Lucid then transformed into a literal shadow and melted into the ground. He reemerged as a giant mouth with red eyes and horns that chomped down on the Dark Behemoth, devouring its body and further satisfying the Dark Spirit's hunger. Seroth looked at the damage caused by Lucid and smirked.

"All raw power…that is what you are. Your hatred and your anger…it translates into pure, destructive power…" Seroth said. He paused and stared at Lucid…before he raised his staff, preparing to teleport. "Hear me, Spyro! That Dark Behemoth was not the force keeping your precious friends…or, friend and family sealed; to find that, you will have to search a little harder. I will leave Lucid with you…he could do well to feed on your soul more."

Lucid watched Seroth teleport and he simply snorted dark steam from his nostrils. The black dragon surveyed his homebrewed destruction…satisfaction that he hadn't felt in a long time reigned in his dark heart. The beast then turned its gaze…toward Spira.

"_Ikitalak…Spira…_" Lucid growled.

"…Sh…shit…" Spira said.

The Dark Spirit stalked toward the Dragon God, looking not at all different than a big cat hunting its prey. Spira tried his best to back up, but he could barely do such a thing. Lucid inched closer and closer, his heavy footfalls resonating with the quickening beats of his target's heart. Finally, he closed in, opening his maw and revealing the fang trap some called a mouth. His crimson eyes burned through Spira's entire being, giving him a feeling of fear that he hadn't felt for two thousand years.

"_Konisuka…megura nak su melak…jenacht, Spira…_" Lucid said.

"You know, normally I would respond to that but I know that reason isn't something that you do…" Spira said.

"_Nakai ta…_"

"Lucid…you can't do this right now. While you're hogging Spyro's body, your powers as a whole can't reach their peak…"

"_Naka masani…veruk tak zo-or…_"

Lucid prepared to devour Spira and continue his reign of terror…however, a bright light shined through the darkness of his body. The Dark Spirit screamed and roared as beams of light shot through his scales and cracked them like glass. The black dragon screamed one more threatening remark at Spira before he disappeared and was replaced with Spyro. The purple dragon stumbled upon coming back, but seeing Spira lying on the ground gasping for his life set him straight again.

"…Spira…I…I…" Spyro said. He lowered his gaze as Spira sat up and narrowed his eyes.

"Spyro…I warned you…I told you to keep control of your emotions…" Spira said, looking away somewhat.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry, I just…I couldn't…" Spyro was very much in an ocean of guilt before he felt strong arms around him. He looked up and saw Spira embracing him tightly.

"I know. You were really worried about me…brings back memories, little guy…"

"Memories…? What are you…?"

"Spyro…listen to me. I am very weak…I'm not as strong as I'm supposed to be. Part of a…premature awakening, if you will."

"Spira…"

"I can't fight this battle with you…I have to go back to my home…my home on Sakur…"

"But why?"

"Because…I can't regain my power here. I have to go back home to fully recuperate. I'm sorry…this is the second time I've let you down…"

"Second…_what is he talking about?_"

"Despite that I can't fight with you…I won't just leave you with nothing. Spyro…you are much more powerful than you think."

"That's not news to me, Spira…"

"No…I mean you are _much_ more powerful than you think. You are much like me…you are a Draconian God."

"Me? A God? You can't possibly be serious!"

"I'm very serious…you just haven't been awakened yet. Here…take Spirayoma…when the fighting is over here, take it to a sacred place north of the Dragon Dojo…the Yuré Shrine. There you will be awakened…"

"Okay…I won't let you down this time…"

"Good boy…" Spira released Spyro and stood straight despite his many injuries. He fanned his feathery wings and a column of light started to surround and lift him up. "Spyro…don't let Lucid devour you. He only needs you until he can feed enough on your soul. Don't forget!"

In a few more moments, Spira was completely lifted into the heavens and he vanished, leaving behind many white feathers as he disappeared. A feathery clip also fell from the heavens and landed in front of Spyro; the purple dragon assumed it was one more gift from the Dragon God. He attached the clip to his Mohawk and gripped the handle of Spirayoma with his paws; he placed the blade onto his back and it immediately disappeared into ether. Spyro turned toward the direction he intended to go and ran off…with a thin dark mist trailing him…

* * *

In the Dark Hollow area, the groves were being completely taken over by shadow vines. In the deepest area, one particular prison held Spyro's dearest; Sparx, Archema and Sachés. The latter two were sleeping in a hugging position but the former was fully awake.

"I wonder where Spyro is…" Sparx said.

"Probably somewhere stewing in his own worthlessness…" Seroth said, as he walked out from the darkness.

"You! Who are you and why did you do this?"

"Oh you know, I just it would be a funny joke. You know 'ha, ha' funny, rather than 'ho, ho' funny."

"Let us go!"

"I…can't do that. You're bait. Besides, it'll be all over soon. Eventually, Spyro will bring the Dark Spirit to this world in full and everyone will go down in flames anyway. If you think about it, this is a rather gentle precursor to your ultimate fate."

"…no…this can't be it…"

Seroth smiled at Sparx and raised an eyebrow before walking away, disappearing into a black void. Only a few moments after he left, did Sparx start to hear the cries of his familiar. Spyro jumped through the grass arch and cleaved a shadow monster in two with a savage battle cry. He stood momentarily on his hind legs as he looked around for more monsters. When there were none, he threw Spirayoma over his back after which it disappeared. The dragon wiped shadow monster blood off of his face before looking up and seeing…

"Sparx!" Spyro said.

"Spyro!" Sparx said. Spyro ran toward the cage and hugged it as though he were hugging the dragonfly himself.

"Are you guys…well, naturally you're not okay."

"You have to help us! Some creepy wizard locked us in here!"

"That was Seroth…don't worry, I'll get you guys out!" Spyro looked at the two dragons with Sparx and he nearly choked up. "Are Mother and Father…"

"No, they're fine. You just have to get us out."

"Don't worry…I'll free you…"

"_And how do you expect to do that, young blood?_" a voice said.

Spyro's body shivered as he felt a powerful aura. A large magic glyph appeared on the ground and it spewed flames like an erupting volcano. From the flames, a dragon emerged. He was a legendary beast known as a Greater Dragon and he was at least five times Spyro's size. His scales were ruby red with patches of purple and his chest and belly were gold. He had white markings and runes all across his body, especially on his wrists and ankles. Large shoulder pads graced his shoulders and they were attached to armored plates on his front and back. Huge feathery wings sporting the colors of the sunset were apparent behind him and a mane of fur the same color burst from his head and down his back. Large double blades were bound to his back via chain and each sword had a gold handle and guard with silver blades. The beast looked at Spyro with his blue eyes and smirked.

"I'm gonna guess you're the one keeping these dragons sealed in these cages…" Spyro said.

"_Correct…I am Syre, Draconian Spirit of Hellfire! And you are Spyro…the one who now holds the Dark Spirit within his body…_" Syre said.

"Dark Spirit, Hellfire Spirit…what are you guys related?"

"_Not that I know of, no. Besides, why would I be related to a filthy creature like Lucid?_"

"Hmph, whatever. In any case, let these dragons and my dragonfly friend go! Or else!"

"…_excuse me, but or else what? I could stomp on you and end the headache you're creating. What makes you think you can beat me?_"

"Shut up! I don't care how big you are, I'll still take you down!" A savage aura flared around Spyro's body and Syre narrowed his eyes.

"_You are so sorrowfully easy…it is too simple to bend your soul like a twig. With such little strength of heart, how do you expect to keep your promise to Spira?_"

"Spira…you knew him?"

"_Indeed. We used to be comrades of the highest order. He was always a bit of a joker, but he also had a very short fuse. It was like some kind of bipolar nature on his part._"

"So then…why the hell are you assisting the forces of the Shadow Realm?"

"_Things have changed, young blood. The darkness you are fighting is all-consuming…not unlike the Dark Spirit that is chewing on your being right now._"

"I am sick of you bringing that up! Bring it on!"

"_Very well…if that is what you wish…I guess you would rather me kill you than be consumed by the Dark Spirit…_"

Syre drew his double blades and stood tall against Spyro. The purple dragon swallowed his fear and jumped at the Draconian Spirit, drawing Spirayoma from the ether it was sealed in. He took a swipe but the blade failed to connect, let alone release any ether. Syre simply moved back, showing the agility that betrayed his size, and swung his blades, releasing a massive stream of flames. Spyro jumped away and then back forward, countering with a broad horizontal slash. Syre took the blow in the arm but it was no more effective than a cat scratch; the Draconian Spirit responded with a claw swipe that sent Spyro to the ground and caused him to bounce. Syre folded his arms as he watched his opponent struggle to regain.

"Urgh…maybe…maybe magic would be a better bet against him…" Spyro said. He drew a quick magic symbol and his hand gave a purple glow before… "Eat this! Shock!"

At Spyro's command, a large purple lightning bolt tore through the heavens before it struck Syre square in the head. The purple dragon silently praised himself, but his smirk melted when the smoke cleared and Syre was simply rubbing his nose. The red dragon glared at Spyro and whipped his tail around, striking Spyro and sending him careening into a wall; the Draconian Spirit stomped toward the purple dragon and simply sheathed his blades and crossed his arms.

"Hurgh…I'm not…I'm not done yet…" Spyro said, as he struggled to get on his feet.

"_Oh, are you not?_" Syre said. Spyro gripped Spirayoma and dashed toward Syre, but the latter simply kicked him, sending him back into the same wall. He didn't move after that, but could be heard growling. "_Give up, fool! You are too weak to fight me. See if you can awaken first, then we will continue this. Until then, you are nothing more than a worthless guppy trying to find his way in an ocean too large._"

Syre took one last disgusted glare at Spyro and then he disappeared. The latter gripped Spirayoma and the veins in his paws could be seen. He limped over to the cage which held Sparx and was possessed by incomparable rage and hate; Spyro began to hack repeatedly at the cage and a harsh clashing sound was the result. He bellowed a long cry as he released his frustrations…and his sorrows. Spyro started shivering as he slowed his assault; Sparx looked at him.

"Shit…shit, shit…SHIT!" Spyro roared. He struck the prison for each word.

"Spyro, don't worry…you'll…" Sparx started. He was stopped by a glare from his friend.

"I'll do what? I'm too weak! I wasn't strong enough to save you guys! The bastard simply left like…like…like…"

"Spyro…"

"Why? Why is all of this happening?" Spyro threw Spirayoma to the ground in frustration.

"Because…your power relies on your emotions. Emotions are worthless and will get you nothing, Spyro." Came the voice of Seroth. Spyro turned around and the dark wizard was staring him in the face.

"Seroth…you are the absolute last one that I want to hear from right now…"

"Well, too bad because I'm here anyway. In any case, you can't hope to win just because you believe you can."

"I will give you ten seconds…if you're not out of my face by then…"

"What will you do to me, Spyro? You couldn't defeat the Dark Behemoth, let alone Syre! Imagine what _I_ could do to you if I got serious! You are a weak, miserable, failure!"

Whether Seroth planned it or not, that statement snapped Spyro in two and he could take no more. The purple dragon growled and lunged at Seroth at light speed; the wizard had no time to react before Spyro's fangs were deep in his shoulder. The wizard was completely stunned; he made no reaction, no fear, no anger. He simply stood staring at the dragon attached to his shoulder, ignoring the pain of the vice grip. Spyro looked back up at Seroth and when he saw that there was no reaction, he bit down harder, causing a large spurt of blood to explode from the area and coat the ground and one of Spyro's cheeks. The wizard grit his fangs and staggered back, growling at the dragon that had so savagely assaulted him. The look on that dragon's face sent chills down the wizard's spine, supplemented by the steady flow of blood flowing from his fangs.

"You son of a…you dare to…" Seroth spat. He couldn't find his words.

As Spyro started to inch toward the wizard with a dark aura teeming from his body, Seroth teleported…leaving Spyro to stand in his blood.

"Spyro…is that you…?" Sparx said.

Spyro turned toward his friend, but as he did, he transformed into Lucid. The black dragon stomped toward the cage and put one powerful paw onto it, staring at Sparx with his evil red eyes; when his paw hit the cage, the magic forming the cage fizzled and sparked. The Dark Spirit emitted a low growl before baring his fangs at Sparx; the dragonfly was feeling fear that he hadn't ever felt before.

"_Nakai ta…Spyro desgera sokaht…ani vresverudo isine ga, Sparx…_" Lucid growled.

The Dark Spirit reverted back to the purple dragon and the latter slowly backed away from the cage before running off toward the north. He found the portal leading back to the Dragon Dojo and was lucky that it was still open. He disappeared and left his friend and family behind…feeling the harsh stings of failure as he did…

_**End Chapter Three. Next Chapter, Spyro's Rise…**_


	5. IV: Spyro's Rise

Spyro the Dragon God: Final Story

By Rhah the Last Warlord

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Spyro or any related characters that appear in this story; they are owned by Activision Blizzard or whoever owns them now. I own the scenario, some characters, and the plot.

**Plot:** Spyro has always thought that he was a normal dragon born in the Dragon Realms. However, through many strange events that bring even stranger allies and enemies, a brand new story writes itself in his life…a story that will lead him to ultimately write his name in the history books for Eternity.

**Notes:** It's been a long time coming and it's finally happening. After looking over _Shadows of the Past_ and _XIII Scars_, I finally realized just how badly written and retconned those two stories in particular truly are. So in light of that, in order to make myself feel better and provide a much more enriching experience for my readers, I have decided to redo all three stories and rebuild them into one epic. Of course, it won't just be a straight-up rewrite with grammar corrections, as you will soon see. Not much more to say here than please enjoy.

* * *

_Story I: Shadows of the Past_

_ Spyro had always assumed that he was born and raised in the Dragon Realms. Now, with the Shadow Realm reopening and old secrets coming to light that will change the course of his life, the Shadows of the Past seem to be closing in yet again…_

* * *

_Book I: Reviving the Darkness_

**Chapter 4: Spyro's Rise**

Running…running…running…that was all Spyro could do as he sprinted from that horrible scene where he showed that he was falling…falling into darkness; the very same scene where he let down his friend, his family, his people…the scene where he lost that battle so horridly. No tears escaped from the dragon's eyes but nothing more than hopelessness reigned inside of his broken soul. The dragon's tracks were coated in blood; this was an assisting factor in Spyro's decision to avoid the Elder Dragons. His overall failure also confirmed that decision, so he snuck past the Dragon Dojo and found a pool of pure water with a river running through it; Spyro wasted no time in jumping in and lying down, letting all of the blood wash from his battered body. He stared at the sun that shined above the realm.

"That barrier that the Elders erected must have really done its job…" Spyro said. He threw himself over on his belly, watching the water. "I don't believe what happened back there…"

Spyro washed the blood from his fangs and claws and then sat upon the land, shaking himself dry. He stared at his reflection in the pond…a thin black mist was hovering around his body.

"Spyro…what are you becoming…? How could you have so easily broken your promise to Spira? How could I possibly be a Dragon God…when I can barely hang onto what I already am? Am I still the same dragon that saved the Dragon Realms…? What am I saying, of course I am; nothing can change that." Spyro said.

Spyro tried a smile, but it didn't last very long; he knew that a part of him…Lucid, still wanted more…more blood, more destruction. He had to keep a hold of that dragon…he would not control the purple one; because if Lucid gained full control…he didn't want to think about it.

"Lucid…I won't let you win…" Spyro said.

"_Deskact kuel nas, vihik…?_" Lucid growled. The black dragon appeared in front of Spyro, baring his massive fangs.

"Dammit, get out of me!"

"_Naonatiik no dah…serahk dovah kalihk…_"

Lucid vanished and Spyro was left to his thoughts…and his worries. However, all of those things vanished when he saw a bright white light shining from a cavern nearby. The purple dragon looked and saw a blue shadow out of the corner of his eye. He narrowed his eyes and walked over toward the cavern, letting his curiosity lead him inside…

The cave was very bright, with translucent crystals growing out of nearly every wall. Every kind of color imaginable reflected off of those crystals except for black. The blue rock that made up the entirety of the cavern blended with the overall peaceful atmosphere, giving Spyro's mind, body, and soul the cleansing that they needed. The gentle wind caressed his Mohawk and invited him to go further, so he did. Just before the first of many bridges, a large stone tablet read "Yuré Shrine" in runic Draconian. After crossing a few of the wooden bridges, Spyro came to a large crystal. It showed his reflection and was translucent at the same time; the purple dragon put one paw on it and it resonated with something deep inside of him.

"What is this…? I feel power coming from this crystal…but not like most of the other gems that I've touched in my life." Spyro said.

The purple dragon decided then to move on, walking across more bridges and past more crystals until he reached a rather spacious alcove. Turquoise vines gently grew through the entire cavern and they caressed more of the crystals that grew out of the walls, the ground and even the ceiling. There was a dragon statue on the other end of the cavern from which water flowed into a pond; a strange essence slowly floated up from the pond. The purple dragon walked toward that pond and sat in front of it, looking around the cavern slightly.

"This place is definitely outside of the Elders' barrier, but there is no sign of the Shadow Realm's influence here. That's cool and all but…why did Spira direct me to a frog pond?" Spyro said, raising an eyebrow.

"A frog pond? No. A super special place for Gods and would-be Gods alike? Yes." A voice said.

Spyro looked up and saw a storm of magical energy circling on top of the dragon statue. From it, a canine-like being emerged. Messy silver hair dangled from the back of the hood that he wore and leather ears were sewn into the hood. His real ears were long and floppy, dangling down the sides of his head and one ear had an extensive glyph painted on it. Most of his fur was dark gray with white accents and he wore a thick black robe with green serpent designs on it. Another extensive glyph was sewn into the back of his robe. He wore a hakama below the robe and it had green flames on the ends of both legs along with a belt made of silver serpentine chains. He was standing with a cane, which was black and in the shape of a thick serpent with red gems to serve as the eyes. His eyes were gray and lightless. He looked at Spyro with an empty smile.

"You must be…ah yes, Spyro, right? My name is Artimus Vi Lumédis." Artimus said.

"Uh…nice to meet you, Mr. Lumédis…" Spyro said, raising an eyebrow.

"Please, just 'Artimus' will do…hmm, I smell the stink of darkness on you…and it smells, hmm, familiar…" Artimus' right eye flashed red for a second.

"Darkness, darkness, darkness! Why does everyone…!"

"Because it's a very important darkness, Spyro. If it were just you exhibiting dark power, it would be a different story. However…we are speaking of the 'Dark Spirit'…"

"…right…I'm sorry…"

"No problem. Now then…you are here for what reason?"

"Well, are you the one who has the power to 'awaken' me?"

"Technically, I have the power to temper the divine energy inside of you to call your inner God to the surface like a rising cake, but they're the same." Artimus jumped down and landed in front of Spyro. It was only then that the purple dragon could see how much bigger he was compared to him. He grabbed Spyro's cheeks. "However! You must have no regrets."

"What happens if I have regrets?"

"During the process, should any thought remotely resembling 'is this a good idea' enter your head, the process will suffer a horrific backfire, locking down your inner God for good."

"Okay, then…hey…"

"Hmm?"

"If you can reach that deep down inside of me…do you think you could remove this Dark Spirit from my soul?"

"No. The 'Dark Spirit' is attached to you very firmly. If anyone were to try and remove him, you would pretty much die."

Spyro sat and took that statement in. There was nothing anyone could do…he was pretty much cursed to be Lucid's play thing until the black dragon was satisfied with what he had gained by torturing Spyro. The purple dragon shook his head as Artimus stepped back; Spyro forced Spirayoma to appear from the ether around him, grabbed the blade and swung it over his shoulder, embedding it into the ground. The purple dragon folded his arms while sitting on his hind legs.

"Well, go ahead. Do whatever it is you do. Bake me." Spyro said.

"You're not doing this…for the power, are you?" Artimus said.

"No…no, I want to drive the forces of evil from my home…and save those that I care for."

"Good boy. Now then, if I do this there is very little chance of you returning to normal without some serious consequences. Do you accept this?" Spyro nodded.

"This power may strengthen the 'Dark Spirit' inside of you, causing him to completely take you over. You could end up being used to destroy what you want to protect. Do you accept this?" Spyro nodded again.

"When others see and feel your new power, they may not accept you…they may fear you. You may be outcast, driving you down the path of evil. You must fight all temptations and fight for what you believe in. Only you can decide how to use your powers. Only YOU can decide your ultimate destiny…only you can prevent wildfires. Do you accept this?"

Spyro raised an eyebrow and nodded one final time before Artimus started laughing somewhat uncontrollably. Spyro watched him, but didn't have a firm reaction when the creature made a pushing motion with his hands, encasing the purple dragon in an enormous, jagged crystal that looked similar to the ones all over the shrine. Soon after, the dragon burst from the crystals in an entirely new form. His purple scales had turned white and his chest and belly shifted between elegant blues and purples with the lighting. His crest sported the same colors and black markings appeared on his body in the forms of runic marks. His body gained a fair bit of muscle and he also got slightly taller; his body also sparked with energy and was forced onto his hind legs. A glass ball appeared on the end of his tail and a translucent seed appeared inside of it. His horns grew slightly longer but retained their golden color. Spyro looked at himself with his mouth open agape.

"Wow…I feel so different…and I don't even feel uncomfortable standing like this." Spyro said. Artimus smiled at him.

"Yes…congratulations, Spyro; you are now a Demi-God." Artimus said.

"Demi-God?"

"Indeed. Dragon Gods go through a very strict process of development. You are at the initial stage, being a Demi-God. Once you become a full God, you will grow in a series of steps commonly known as Tiers. But for now, there is still a lonely blade that is deep in the ground there."

"What…oh yeah, Spirayoma…"

Spyro grabbed the divine blade with his hand and the sword was instantly transformed. The grip was a cylindrical handle with a pentagonal piece on the pommel. The guard was made of small crystals that, again, resembled the ones all over the cave. The blade was about five feet long and was a professionally cut crystal that was translucent enough to see through. Two ocean blue metal pieces curved up toward the blade and clipped into it. The grip was also the same blue with the ornament on the pommel being gold. Spyro gripped the blade and swung it.

"I…I feel power running all through this weapon…what is this crystal?" Spyro said.

"The blade on your sword and the crystal running through this entire cave are called adamant. It is the sacred crystal of your clan, the Pure Dragons." Artimus said.

"Pure Dragons?"

"Anyway, that divine blade is called Adamatinacor. It focuses your latent abilities. And with that, I will take my leave."

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Well, I can't stick around here all day. I've places to go…people to talk to."

"Okay…thanks, Artimus."

"No problem…Spyro the Dragon. Now go and be heroic."

Spyro turned around and walked out of the cave, blade in hand. Once he was out of view, Artimus turned back around toward the path…his right eye had turned red.

"Ah, the path of the Dragon God…it has broken many and cursed even more. For some, it has doomed more than themselves. I hate them…but I love them all the same…but I guess I hate them more. Of course, I am Veazahlian…I hate everything by nature. Just like you…Lord Avenstia…"

Outside of the Yuré Shrine, Lucid soundlessly appeared behind Spyro as he was walking away. The black dragon stared directly into the cave…the fury that was constantly in his eyes softened for a brief moment…

* * *

After a rather short walk, Spyro arrived at the area where he last battled Syre. He stood with a concentrated gaze and that look only hardened when Syre once again emerged from a magic glyph. The Draconian Spirit looked Spyro up and down…and crossed his arms.

"_I sense the blood of the Divine in you…and it is much stronger now…_" Syre said. Spyro smirked.

"Yeah, if it's alright with you, I'd rather skip the prologue and get right to the action so I can kick your ass into the ground and save everyone." Spyro said, immediately swinging his hand and causing Adamatinacor to appear in his hand.

"_Tsk, tsk, tsk…still possessing the body of a rat and the mind of a bovine, I see. Come! I will teach you the true meaning of battle!_"

Syre drew his blades and began his assault with a direct double stabbing attack. Spyro moved and the blades dug into the ground, allowing the new Dragon God to dash forward toward Syre's chest; Spyro brought Adamatinacor up and executed a mighty swing, cutting the Greater Dragon's chest with a combined blade and wave of ether. Syre staggered back and gripped his wound; he gave Spyro a look mixed with anger and pride. Rather than spewing more words, the red dragon stomped forward and went for another slash, but Spyro dodged once more; however, as he went for a counter attack, Syre whipped around and struck his opponent with his massive tail, sending Spyro into a rock formation. The Demi-God hit the ground, but regained quickly, brandishing his weapon once more. He ran at Syre once more, jumping up and swinging his blade; Syre caught the attack on one blade and countered with the other covered in flames. Spyro was sent careening across the battlefield, soon propping himself up and sliding on his feet until he stopped.

"_Hmph! The most basic knowledge of the warrior, boy! You may have the power but it means nothing if you do not know how to _use_ the power!_" Syre said. Spyro stood up and looked at his sword.

"As much as I hate to say it, he's right…Artimus just awakened my Godhood; it's not like he gave me an instruction booklet on how to use my powers…" Spyro whispered. He looked deeply at the blade of Adamatinacor and it responded by giving off a warm glow. "Of course…no one knows my power better than me…right?"

Spyro's thoughts were interrupted as Syre let out a savage roar and slashed at the earth with one blade, hurling a massive wall of flame at the white dragon. In a panic, Spyro raised one arm defensively; that arm instantly became coated in an adamant gauntlet and as he raised it, a wall of the sacred crystal pierced through the earth and shielded Spyro from the flames. Realizing that he wasn't burned (seeing as his eyes were closed the entire time), Spyro looked at the wall of adamant and then his hand.

"Awe…some…" Spyro said.

He looked at Syre with a smirk and then made a pushing motion with his adamant coated hand, sending a wave of crystals toward the Greater Dragon. They made their mark and Syre was caught in a cage of adamant with a wide-eyed expression. Spyro then closed his hand in a fist and swung it, causing the crystals to shatter in an explosion that sent Syre to the ground with many a scar and gash on his body from the resulting shrapnel.

"Alright, Spyro!" Sparx said from his prison.

Spyro smiled at his friend but regained his concentration as soon as he witnessed Syre rising from the ground. The Greater Dragon staggered to his feet and looked at the white dragon; he stared and narrowed his eyes, but no matter what, he could sense nothing but the purity of Spyro's divinity. The scent of the Dark Spirit was nowhere on him, at least in a manner that would suggest that Spyro was drawing on his power. He nodded, regarding the strength of his opponent, and held his blades firm. Syre adjusted his stance and the markings all over his body started resonating with a violent glow; soon after, he was coated in flames and heading toward Spyro at a dangerous speed. The former swore and jumped out of the way of his opponent, but Syre quickly changed directions and came within close distance of the white dragon, before he reached out with his blade and struck the ground with it, causing a massive eruption of fire. Spyro was easily blown back and burned by the attack as he was sent into the air and back to the ground with a resounding thud.

"Hagh…what the hell?" Spyro said as he slowly regained. The flames around Syre vanished but he retained his stance.

"_This is my Flight of the Deadly Phoenix stance…it gives me full control over the savage flames burning inside of my body. Consider yourself a more than worthy opponent…_" Syre said.

Syre dashed toward Spyro once more, igniting the earth as he went; he then rolled into a massive fireball and began rolling toward the Demi-God. Spyro raised his adamant-coated fist and gripped the earth with it; he then pulled and created a ramp of adamant that Syre sailed off of, over Spyro. The Greater Dragon fell to the ground, but simply turned around and began rolling toward Spyro again. The white dragon turned around and let out a roar before swinging at his opponent with a horizontal slash full of survival intent. Much to his surprise when Spyro swung his sword, it generated a long, wing-like swath of adamant that stopped Syre and slashed him multiple times. The Greater Dragon was thrown back with the flames around him dispelled; Spyro watched where he was going and then made a slight motion with his hand, causing adamant to seal Syre in place with another cage.

Spyro then made another motion and summoned a crop of adamant behind him that launched him into the air. He sailed above Syre and raised his fist.

"Aaagh! **Adamant Eruption!**" Spyro said.

His fist and entire arm became coated in even more adamant until it resembled a crystalline comet. He looked down and shot toward the ground, zeroing in on Syre; he pulled his fist back and thrust it forward once more before making contact. The result was a massive shockwave of Divine energy and an eruption of adamant for a few meters around the impact point. When the dust cleared, Syre lied on the ground with a huge hole in his chest and Spyro's fist in the middle of that hole; he jumped off of his opponent's lumbering body and shook his hand as he did so, dissolving the adamant that coated his hand and arm. He looked at all of the giant crystals ripping out of the ground and then swung his sword, causing all of them to dissolve into ether.

"Well…that was a blast, but how do I free this area of the Shadow Realm…?" Spyro said.

"_Huuuuurgh…oh yes…it was a blast wasn't it, young blood…?_" Syre said. Spyro jumped back and readied his blade again as Syre rose, but the Draconian Spirit sheathed his blades and crossed his arms. Spyro could sense that there was a vastly different air about him.

"…Syre…?"

"_I will attack you no more, young blood. You have freed me…from the evil of the Shadow Realm._"

"Wait, you were possessed the entire time?"

"_Indeed…come now, why would I, a legendary Draconian Spirit Guardian ever willingly assist the forces of darkness?_"

"I don't know. I know very little about what's going on."

"_By now, I would hope you know enough of the nitty-gritty to save me the pleasure of rambling. Just know that like me, the other Draconian Spirits have been touched by evil forces and you must save them in order to purge the Shadow Realm from the rest of the areas of the Dragon Realms._"

"Fair enough."

"_I will give you my Divine power over flame in order to help you. Use it well…for I must return to Sakur to check on the state of things in the Holy Land._"

Without really giving Spyro a chance to respond, Syre fanned his multi-colored wings and was surrounded by a violent twister of flames; when it vanished, he too was gone and all that was left in his wake were miniature versions of his swords and scorched earth. Spyro picked up the weapons and their blades were instantly coated in adamant, before they disappeared into ether. Feeling nothing more than instinct in him, Spyro whipped Adamatinacor around and stabbed it into the earth, causing a rush of Divine energy to rage across the Artisan Home. In no time, the darkness and evil was purged and the realm was back to its former self, though the plants and greenery seemed much more colorful and lively than they had been before the Shadows took over. Spyro smiled pleasantly and then took his sword up again, holding it up to the distant sun.

"The Holy Land…?" Spyro said as he looked at the sun through his blade.

"Spyro!" Sparx said. He flew up to Spyro and circled his head many times before Spyro outstretched his hand and let Sparx rest on it. "Wow…you have a completely different aura about you."

"Spyro, my boy!" Sachés said. Spyro looked back and his father was coming at him full speed, wrapping him in one arm when he reached him. Archema followed behind her husband and kissed her Demi-God son on the head. "You are something else…even more so!"

"Uh…thanks, father. Are you guys okay?"

"We couldn't be better now, Spyro. I'm so proud of you…" Archema said. Spyro wrenched his way out of his father's grip and stood on the ground.

"We'll talk later guys. I have to go speak with the Elders. Come on, Sparx."

Archema and Sachés nodded before heading back to the Artisae Emeraldis. Spyro started walking back to the dojo, with Sparx beside him. They both looked at the dragons rejoicing and an especially warm feeling filled the white dragon's heart.

"So…I guess we're going on another adventure, huh?" Sparx said.

"Yup. We may need to get the team together again. This one's not gonna be easy…than again, I like it that way." Spyro said.

The two continued to the dojo, standing tall to face whatever may come to face them on this new journey. However, despite the Shadow Realm being driven from the Artisan Home and no matter how many more would be purified, one more dark presence would always linger…

"_Kintegai…alact terrai seganacht…Spyro the Dragon…_" Lucid growled.

_**End Chapter Four. Next Chapter, Knowledge; the Dark Forces…**_


	6. V: Knowledge, the Dark Forces

Spyro the Dragon God: Final Story

By Rhah the Last Warlord

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Spyro or any related characters that appear in this story; they are owned by Activision Blizzard or whoever owns them now. I own the scenario, some characters, and the plot.

**Plot:** Spyro has always thought that he was a normal dragon born in the Dragon Realms. However, through many strange events that bring even stranger allies and enemies, a brand new story writes itself in his life…a story that will lead him to ultimately write his name in the history books for Eternity.

**Notes:** It's been a long time coming and it's finally happening. After looking over _Shadows of the Past_ and _XIII Scars_, I finally realized just how badly written and retconned those two stories in particular truly are. So in light of that, in order to make myself feel better and provide a much more enriching experience for my readers, I have decided to redo all three stories and rebuild them into one epic. Of course, it won't just be a straight-up rewrite with grammar corrections, as you will soon see. Not much more to say here than please enjoy.

* * *

_Story I: Shadows of the Past_

_ Spyro had always assumed that he was born and raised in the Dragon Realms. Now, with the Shadow Realm reopening and old secrets coming to light that will change the course of his life, the Shadows of the Past seem to be closing in yet again…_

* * *

_Book I: Reviving the Darkness_

**Chapter 5: Knowledge; the Dark Forces**

Far off in the Andriola Ocean, there was an island; it was always surrounded by fierce winds and high, jagged rocks making it only accessible by flight. An old palace sat on the lonely island and its details could only be seen with each flash of lightning. The stone it was made of glistened in the momentary flashes, kept clean by the waves continuously breaking over the cliffs. Inside, a familiar dark wizard sat in a large chair, holding his fingers to his temples and a wet cloth to his bleeding shoulder. Seroth glanced over at his shoulder and growled to himself before reaching for his wand.

"…forgot…wounds from dragon fangs aren't curable by magic. Damn that Spyro…oh well, pain is good. Well…good for me, anyway." Seroth said.

He got up from his seat and strode toward a window, looking out at the sea crashing over the rocks. Lightning flashed…

"'Spirit of Darkness and Corruption'…really?" a voice said. Seroth turned around and Artimus was sitting on a high step on a spiral staircase. He had his palm on his chin and was looking at the Dark Wizard with his eyes half-closed.

"…oops, my bad. I forgot how sensitive you are about that…Arty." Seroth said.

"Call me that again and I'll make your life a living hell…"

"Heh…"

"I admit, that title is incredibly…original, but it hardly does any favors."

"I'm just trying to keep up with the current mythology."

"And that 'current mythology' is what pisses me off!" Artimus jumped down from his place (over the banister) and landed on the floor. His right eye was glowing a truly radiant crimson.

"You know, for a guy who sacrificed his soul, you sure have a lot of emotion. Hide that eye, please; it's hideous."

"Shut up!" Artimus pointed his staff at Seroth, with the snake eyes giving off a violent glow. "You're not going to start giving _me_ orders!"

"Number one, I wasn't ordering you. Number two, don't take your problems out on me; that's rude." Artimus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, afterward revealing that his eye returned to normal. "Now, why don't you go back to your little swamp hole and continue doing what you do best: watching."

Artimus frowned and walked toward the massive double doors, before kicking them open, walking out into the storm and disappearing. Seroth scowled, then rolled his eyes before he returned to his chair. He threw his arm over his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep…

* * *

It was night time in the Artisan Home. After the events of the Shadow Realm, it was actually pretty amazing that life returned to normal so quickly, with everyone going to sleep at their usual times. The plains were quiet and crickets could be heard chirping through the night. However, in a well hidden area of the Artisan Home, a certain Demi-God was still up and about. Spyro was standing in a field of boulders, wielding his divine weapon Adamatinacor. He looked at the blade and narrowed his eyes.

"Hmm…it doesn't seem like it's as…glowy as it was before…" Spyro said. He concentrated, but still his blade didn't respond. "Hrm…"

"Maybe it's situational." Sparx said.

"That would kind of suck…"

Spyro embedded Adamatinacor into the earth and then looked at his left hand. He clenched it and concentrated; his hand gave off a warm light and then small adamant shards started appearing on it. In somewhat shock, Spyro shook his hand and the activity halted, then reversed.

"That still freaks the hell out of me…" Spyro said.

"Why? It is _your_ power." Sparx said.

"I don't know, I guess I think it'll get stuck like that or something."

Sparx chuckled at the remark and Spyro smiled before looking at his hand again. He took a deep breath and then repeated the process, once again watching the small shards appear on his hand. He then slowly brought his hand up and took a short step forward before pushing his hand up in a fist; this action caused a fist made of adamant to push through the ground. The Demi-God mouthed "wow" before swinging his hand horizontally, causing the crystal form to shatter. Spyro smirked and pushed his fist forward, causing the ground to erupt in adamant in a straight line; he then swung his fist up and the adamant ripped out of the ground, floating in the air. The white dragon violently swung his fist down, causing the crystals to come down, smashing into the earth and shattering.

"I think I get the gist of this." Spyro said, flexing his adamant-coated fingers. He shook his hand, causing the crystal to vanish.

"It's still pretty unbelievable that you're a Divine being, Spyro." Sparx said.

Spyro prepared to respond, but a bright light shined from the sky, parting clouds and eventually touching the ground. The white dragon cocked his head but then his frown turned into a smile when he saw the blue dragon descending. Spira touched down and walked toward Spyro, but then stumbled slightly; Spyro caught him and Spira patted him on the shoulder, before standing straight.

"Premature return, I guess…" Spira said. He shrugged and Spyro looked at him. "So what are you doing all the way out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. I was practicing with my newfound power; I'd rather flail around idiotically somewhat less the next time I get into a fight." Spyro said.

"How responsible…oh, wow…" Spira looked at the new Adamatinacor that was embedded into the ground. He motioned to Spyro and got his permission to touch it before he pulled the blade from the ground and started examining it. "So, my sword transformed into this? That's amazing…and the elegant form suits you."

"Thanks." Spyro grabbed Adamatinacor as Spira handed it back to him. "So, like I inferred earlier, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to give you something."

"Again?"

"Ha, ha! This will be the last one for a while." Spira spun his hand around in the air at an ever increasing speed, until his energy generated a lotus flower made purely out of adamant.

"Umm…what's that?"

"We don't have the time to go through the proper channels or training for this, so I figure it would be better to go the quicker, but more painful route."

"For what exactly?"

"A power that'll give you a much easier time getting around in your coming journey."

"Okay, well…bring it on. I mean, how painful could it be?"

Spira raised an eyebrow and then smirked, before softly tossing the adamant flower into the air. It slowly floated for a moment, before shooting toward Spyro at nearly light speed; it pierced his body and entered his chest and immediately after, Spyro gripped at his chest and started emitting sounds that would suggest that he was choking. In a few moments, this all subsided and the dragon collapsed to the ground, unconscious but still wincing and wrenching.

"Spira! What's wrong with him?" Sparx said.

"Don't worry about it; it's completely normal. I'm gonna take him to bed now…he should feel better in the morning." Spira said.

The blue dragon picked up the white one and he walked back to the palace, where he casted a quick spell that enabled him to pass through the solid walls of the structure…but briefly. Spira walked up the stairs to the second floor and Sparx opened the door to his and Spyro's room, where the blue dragon pulled back the covers and laid the white one in his bed. Spira rolled the sheets back over Spyro and after that, he stood for a moment and looked at the newly christened Dragon Demi-God. From the cage that he slept in, Sparx watched the blue Dragon God; there was something odd about Spira's behavior toward Spyro. The former placed his hand on the latter's head, afterward slowly pulling his hand away and turning toward the door. He walked to the door and quickly fanned his wings, causing his body to disappear in a flash of light. Sparx watched the white feathers float through the air…and then he turned to the sleeping Spyro.

"Spira…do you and Spyro…?" Sparx said.

* * *

"_I'm just a weapon…a discarded piece of you. Why can't I just BE YOU?"_

"Uuuurgh…"

Spyro shielded his eyes as the sun hit his face…it was a clear day with only sparse clouds in the sky. He rubbed his belly and then sat up, throwing his face into his hands as he collected himself. Uncannily, at the same time as Spyro awakened, Sparx also roused himself, though he awoke in an arguably more pleasant manner. He looked at his Demi-Godly friend and in his misery, he remembered what had transpired the night before.

"Oh, Spyro!" Sparx said. He opened the door on his cage and flew toward his friend. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, Sparx…I would like to put it in one way: did you get the number of that boat?" Spyro said.

"Ouch…are you sure you can even move?"

"I can definitely move; I don't feel like my stomach is going to split open, so I definitely feel better now than I did last night. But all the same, this day isn't about me."

"Oh?"

"Today, we have to get our team together."

"Usual guys?"

"Well…this time, I'm thinking we should get Hunter, Elora and maybe Bianca. I don't wanna bring an entire army on this one; a smaller team will make it much easier for us to organize and strategize. We need to get started on our journey as quickly as possible."

"Right…exactly, what journey are we going on? I mean it's not like we know where this Seroth guy is hiding…"

"Yeah, but I know that the other Dragon Homes are being ravaged by the Shadow Realm. That's our first goal; I figure Seroth will show up afterwards and I could defeat him when he does."

"Well then, you'll probably try now, huh Spyro?" Seroth said.

Spyro and Sparx immediately turned towards the window where Seroth was sitting with a smirk on his face. Speaking of face, his was now in full view due to his hood being down. This revealed the fact that the sorcerer was a faun with messy silver hair and pale white skin. His eyes, though somewhat obscured by his hair, were a menacing ruby red and he had furry pointy ears and black horns. He was holding his staff firm as he hung his foot out of the window. Spyro immediately swung his arm and drew Adamatinacor from his ether.

"I didn't think you'd be back so soon after what I did to your shoulder…" Spyro said. Seroth reached one hand under his robes and touched the wound, licking the blood that was then present on his fingers.

"Yes…you did hurt me very badly….but the fact of the matter is that I was waiting for that pain." Seroth said.

"Wonderful. If that got you off, I can't wait to see how excited you get when I kill you!"

"Right. You see Spyro…I should let you know that I am not at all afraid of you. When I see you so full of murderous intent…well, it just brightens my day."

"You are a psychotic freak, aren't you?"

"No, I just want to see this world fall to your hands…your Godly hands, mind you. Whether it involves you forgoing your dragon buddy, Spira's, advice and fully resurrecting Lucid or…other means."

"Yeah, like Spyro would ever do that. Keep dreaming, pal!" Sparx said.

"Sparx…you have way too much faith in this dragon. You of all people and otherwise should know how vile his temper is."

"I am so sick of you speaking ill of me! Did you come all this way just to mock me?"

"No…that would be childish. It's also childish how you refuse to accept your own faults. You're not perfect Spyro, even for a…ahem, hero. Wake up."

"Wake up. Right. How about I make you sleep instead?"

Spyro pulled his sword back, allowing it to build up a charge of divine energy, before he swung it; this released a blade of divine energy that screamed toward Seroth. However, the sorcerer just brought his staff up and swatted the energy, causing it to dissipate.

"Hey, Spyro…the next time you try to attack me, try not to suck as much. You should thank me, too; that could've caused some nice damage to your lavish bedroom here. I have to run now, but I've done you a little favor; I've already sent a little pet of mine to deliver a message to your friends concerning your little get-together. They're on their way on a boat. Why not call your little team 'The Dark Forces'?"

"…You are an ass, good sir. Now get out of my sight."

Seroth frowned at Spyro and then jumped out the window. The latter looked out said window and watched the sorcerer replace his hood, then continue through the plains as though the many other dragons in the area didn't see him.

"That was weird…oh well, let's go to the port." Spyro said.

"Wait a minute. What if Seroth is trying to trick us?" Sparx said.

"Somehow, I don't think we have to worry about that; he doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would use such simple tricks. Let's go."

* * *

At the Artisan Port (which was predictably in Town Square), Spyro and Sparx waited at the dock, the former looking as vigilant as he could ever be. They waited for roughly five minutes and just before Spyro's patience ran out, something broke over the horizon that made both heroes smirk. Spyro and Sparx waved at the coming boat and as soon as it was docked properly, they got up and walked toward the ramp. The first to walk off of the ramp was Elora; her amber hair was longer but it was tied in a ponytail so that it didn't obstruct her vision. She was wearing a red vest along with a blue belt; a sheathed longsword was attached to that belt and in her hair was a blue ribbon. She was also wearing black fingerless gloves with metal plates on the backs of the palms.

"Wow…is that you, Spyro?" Elora said. She hugged Spyro as she came within reach of him.

"Spyro and Sparx! Haven't seen you guys in a long time; it's just like old times again!" Hunter said, as he stepped off of the boat. He was equipped with his trademark bow and arrows. He shook hands with Spyro as he stepped on the dock.

"Hey, guys; I've missed you. I am glad that we could have this meeting." Bianca said. She stepped on the dock and ran her hand through Spyro's newly colored crest. As they all stood around together, Hunter took another look at Spyro.

"Hey, Spyro…why did you turn white? And did you grow since we last saw each other?"

"Well, I'm still shorter than all of you, so it's all good." Spyro joked.

"He does have a point though, Spyro, especially in regards to the pigment change." Elora said.

"A lot of things happened in the short space of time since we last saw one another. Apparently, I'm a Draconian God…well, I'm _almost_ a Draconian God. I'm a Demi-God right now, and for some reason, that turned me white and made me grow. I've also obtained a sweet weapon or two, but I should stow it for now. We have to get moving so that we can save the other Dragon Homes."

"Save them? From what?" Bianca said.

"The Shadow Realm. It's an evil power that causes an area to decay and become infested with horrendous creatures! It also places any present life forms in magic cages!" Sparx said.

"That's insane! We gotta get moving!" Hunter said. The group started walking back to town.

"Wait…how are we supposed to get to these 'Dragon Homes'? I doubt the balloonists will be flying when there's stuff like this going on." Elora said.

"Well…Spira did give me a power that he said would help me travel…" Spyro said.

"Spira? Who's that?" Elora said.

"I'll tell you later. Just get all of your stuff together and meet me back in the Artisan Home. I just hope I can figure out how to make this power work." Spyro said.

He and Sparx went off and left their friends to get their stuff together. Suffice to say, the white dragon was quite confident…but this journey would prove to be in a completely different league than the others…

_**End Chapter Five. Next Chapter, Blank Pages II - Snake Eyes…**_


	7. VI: BP: Snake Eyes

Spyro the Dragon God: Final Story

By Rhah the Last Warlord

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Spyro or any related characters that appear in this story; they are owned by Activision Blizzard or whoever owns them now. I own the scenario, some characters, and the plot.

**Plot:** Spyro has always thought that he was a normal dragon born in the Dragon Realms. However, through many strange events that bring even stranger allies and enemies, a brand new story writes itself in his life…a story that will lead him to ultimately write his name in the history books for Eternity.

**Notes:** It's been a long time coming and it's finally happening. After looking over _Shadows of the Past_ and _XIII Scars_, I finally realized just how badly written and retconned those two stories in particular truly are. So in light of that, in order to make myself feel better and provide a much more enriching experience for my readers, I have decided to redo all three stories and rebuild them into one epic. Of course, it won't just be a straight-up rewrite with grammar corrections, as you will soon see. Not much more to say here than please enjoy.

* * *

_Story I: Shadows of the Past_

_ Spyro had always assumed that he was born and raised in the Dragon Realms. Now, with the Shadow Realm reopening and old secrets coming to light that will change the course of his life, the Shadows of the Past seem to be closing in yet again…_

* * *

_Book I: Reviving the Darkness_

**Chapter 6: Blank Pages - Snake Eyes**

Deep in the Beast Makers' Realm, there was a deep swamp where no one (other than the Beast Makers themselves) ventured haphazardly. In this dark place, there was one area that remained untouched by the Shadow Realm; it was a large patch of land and in the middle of it, there was a hut of moderate size. There were snake statues made of black rock around the hut along with torches. The hut itself was made of largely wood materials, though there was some stone that offered structural support. Inside, the mysterious creature by now known as Artimus was sitting in a large armchair; he was holding his head in his hand and tapping the index finger of his other hand on the arm of the chair. He got up from his place and walked over to one of two large windows that his home had; he watched the creatures of the Shadow Realm stalk the land beyond the area that he had designated as his own.

"I don't understand what he is doing…" Artimus said. "It seems like he's not even himself anymore…than again, he wouldn't be the only one."

He walked away from the window, sighing, and continued into another room, past a tarp. There was an empty cauldron with a big mixing spoon in it and lots of flasks on shelves; he took one that was occupied by a green liquid and then started taking sips from it, wincing every so often.

"Ooh, tangy…" Artimus said.

He took the flask into another room, his bedroom, and then grabbed a framed picture. He stared at it…and then closed his eyes.

"I've shed enough tears for all of us, haven't I…?" Artimus said. "I can't shed them anymore…I bet he can't either. If he saw this…he'd probably launch off into a violent tirade."

"Well, that probably wouldn't be too much of a bad thing, would it?" a voice said.

Artimus raised an eyebrow and walked back into the den; at the same time, a being walked through his door. He left his boots in the indent in the floor in the previous hallway and his revealed talons gave away the fact that he was a dragon. He was wearing a white robe with detailed blue and purple designs and even though his face couldn't be seen because of the hood he was wearing, a long beard was flowing down from his chin; it was wrapped in countless bands. He was a few inches taller than Artimus and he seemed to stare as he stood in the doorway.

"Oh. You. I've already helped you." Artimus said. The dragon crossed his arms, chuckled and then pulled his hood down, revealing his gray scales and white markings. He also had short, spiky hair and purple eyes.

"Oh, come now. We should be best friends now." The dragon said.

"Best friends? Us? I don't think so. I'm not in the mood to be anyone's friend…besides Lord Avenstia's…"

"…anyway, I just came to thank you for your generous gift."

"I'm not a giver; I'm a trader. You gave me this lovely cane and I gave you…information."

"Not a giver? Did you make an exception with that new Demi-God?"

"No…I'll get him back for that later. I didn't want to rain on his parade. Besides, he's got more important things to do…like saving the world and junk."

"Saving the world…ah, I see the sorcerer already made his move."

"Indeed. He's lucky I made it a point to learn my own brand of barrier magic, otherwise I'd be highly upset with him."

"I never really understood the whole 'Shadow Realm' part of all of this…than again, everyone has their own independent goals. But at the core, the both of you want…arguably, the same thing."

"Yes. We both want to see Lord Avenstia restored…so that he may in turn restore what we have lost. I don't know what you're up to, but I can safely say that I don't give a damn as long as it doesn't conflict with my interests."

"Oh, I can assure you that it doesn't. In fact…I wouldn't mind if 'Lord' Avenstia was restored."

"What's with that tone?"

"There is no tone…only truth. Anyway, this was a nice talk; I have to run now."

Artimus crossed his arms and watched the dragon refit his hood and then walk out of the room. He refit his shoes and then continued until the initial door was closed. Artimus shook his head and then finished the strange drink he was ingesting. He sat in his chair and then returned to the position that he was originally in…waiting.

**_End Chapter Six. Next Chapter, Liberation…_**


	8. VII: Liberation: Spirit of Water, Phyre

Spyro the Dragon God: Final Story

By Rhah the Last Warlord

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Spyro or any related characters that appear in this story; they are owned by Activision Blizzard or whoever owns them now. I own the scenario, some characters, and the plot.

**Plot:** Spyro has always thought that he was a normal dragon born in the Dragon Realms. However, through many strange events that bring even stranger allies and enemies, a brand new story writes itself in his life…a story that will lead him to ultimately write his name in the history books for Eternity.

**Notes:** It's been a long time coming and it's finally happening. After looking over _Shadows of the Past_ and _XIII Scars_, I finally realized just how badly written and retconned those two stories in particular truly are. So in light of that, in order to make myself feel better and provide a much more enriching experience for my readers, I have decided to redo all three stories and rebuild them into one epic. Of course, it won't just be a straight-up rewrite with grammar corrections, as you will soon see. Not much more to say here than please enjoy.

* * *

_Story I: Shadows of the Past_

_ Spyro had always assumed that he was born and raised in the Dragon Realms. Now, with the Shadow Realm reopening and old secrets coming to light that will change the course of his life, the Shadows of the Past seem to be closing in yet again…_

* * *

_Book I: Reviving the Darkness_

**Chapter 7: Liberation; Spirit of Water, Phyre**

In the Artisan Home, Sparx was watching his friend, Spyro stand with his fingers to his chin. The white dragon was tapping his foot for a bit.

"What are you doing?" Sparx said.

"Trying to figure out how exactly I'm supposed to call up this power that Spira gave me." Spyro said.

"Maybe you just concentrate."

"Do you really think it could be that easy?"

"Sure; everything else you've done up until this point has had some connection to your thoughts or motions."

"I guess you're right. Well, I guess I could…"

As Spyro was getting his thoughts together, his friends came back from the port, fully armed. Hunter in particular was wearing a belt that was equipped with slabs of some kind of ore.

"So, what's up, Spyro?" Hunter said. Spyro rubbed the back of his head.

"I was given a power that I was told would help me, or us, travel, but I wasn't told exactly how to use it. I'm willing to try something, though." Spyro said.

"No harm in that; the best path to learning is often trial and error." Bianca said.

Spyro nodded and walked a few feet away from his friends. He placed his hand over his heart and closed his eyes…he could see a bright white and blue glow. Within his subconscious, he let the glow envelop him…but then…

_"Kaos veniri kanahk…"_ Lucid growled. He appeared within Spyro's subconscious right in front of him.

"Get away from me, Lucid…" Spyro said. Lucid blew steam from his nostrils.

_"Nakaozuu mekanek ze jiashazi…Granziik Dragon taonuu."_

"I said…_get away from me!_"

Back to reality, Spyro opened his eyes and they were completely white and glowing. He spread his arms and a massive glyph formed under him, summoning an equally colossal adamant lotus flower that engulfed the Demi-God. The dragon's friends simply looked on and while they were at it…

"Hey, Sparx…who is Lucid?" Elora said. It seemed Spyro's words leaked beyond his subconscious.

"Lucid…" Sparx said. "Lucid is a creature that has taken hold of Spyro's soul, at least that's how I understand it."

"Wow…I guess I don't need to ask if this creature is evil…" Bianca said.

"Unequivocally so. In addition to fighting off the Shadow Realm, we're also chasing a sorcerer named Seroth who wants to resurrect Lucid back to his full power…"

Interrupting Sparx's explanation was the opening of the flower and the revealing of a magnificent creature. Spyro had been transformed into a twenty-foot-tall vision of draconian beauty. Instead of his normal dragon wings, he now possessed four white feathery wings that also had patches of lavender. His black markings had transformed into black stripes on his back, arms and legs while his crest had bloomed into an illustrious mane of blue and purple hair. Large clusters of adamant were sticking up from behind his shoulders and legs while smaller fragments were stuck to various places on his body. Spyro had transformed into a legendary Greater Dragon.

"Whoa…" Spyro said, as he looked over his transformed body. "I'm about as big as Syre was."

"Luckily, your voice actually deepened to suit the transformation. Otherwise, this would be weird." Hunter said.

"Don't make me stomp you…"

"Alright! So are we ready to go now?" Elora said.

"As soon as you guys feel like climbing on as opposed to staring like morons, I will definitely be ready to go."

Ignoring the Demi-God's snide remark, Spyro's companions climbed onto his back as he knelt down while Sparx took his usual place near his friend's head. As soon as everyone was seated comfortably, Spyro took a short run up and then leaped into the air whilst beating his wings. Sooner than he could dream it, he was sailing through the air with the wind in his face. It was like an epic fantasy; before then, Spyro couldn't fly without the help of some special atmospheric magic and while the transformation did technically count as magical assistance, he felt like he had much more control over the option this time. Bianca, Elora, and Hunter were enjoying the view about as much as he was, especially when they fully passed over the Artisan Home and got a glimpse of the expansive Calm Seas of Draconen. As she looked back, Elora noticed that when Spyro beat his wings, they released what looked like glowing flower petals coupled with small shards of adamant.

"How's it feel, Spyro?" Sparx said.

"It feels…great! I've never felt this good in my entire…" Spyro started. He was interrupted by a very bad feeling. "Hey guys…heads up! I'm sensing some epic badness…"

"Um…'epic badness'?" Hunter said.

Spyro rolled his eyes and was about to rephrase, but he instead had to quickly move his body to his right to a bolt of energy. He looked and found the source: an army of soldiers clad in black and silver armor riding large bird-like creatures that were red and black in color. Behind the soldiers was a dearth of other assorted monsters and they all came from the same place: the Shadow Realm. More precisely, the section of the Shadow Realm that was currently overrunning the Peace Keeper's realm.

"That is a _lot_ of monsters, Spyro…" Sparx said.

"Well…we'll just have to plow through them. We don't enough time or resources to fight them all." Spyro said.

"You are exactly correct. Let's do this!" Bianca said.

Spyro smirked and swung his arm, producing Adamatinacor from his ether. As he closed in on the hoard, the Greater Dragon Demi-God swung his blade in a wide and powerful arc, spraying a wave of sharp adamant that cut through a large amount of foes. The direct result of this, however, was Spyro's large body being sprayed with their blood.

"Goddammit…" Spyro growled.

His friends chuckled but everyone's serious looks returned as Spyro flew deeper into the hoard, giving everyone cause to act. Spyro executed many different flying maneuvers to keep himself away from the monsters, Hunter provided explosive support by dragging his arrows across the black slab of rock on his belt, Bianca augmented his support with magic while also keeping Spyro safe with defensive spells, and Elora hacked and slashed at any monsters that were lucky enough to get close. This pattern continued for a good while, enabling the team to strong-arm their way well into the hoard.

"Geez Hunter, what are you putting in those arrows of yours?" Spyro said.

"Oh, well the points are made of Teltite and he's taking advantage of a reaction that takes place when friction occurs between it and another ore called Bealcite. The reaction causes the arrow tips to catch fire and a harsh impact between the Teltite and the many small pieces of Bealcite that catch on the tip cause an explosion." Bianca said. Spyro blinked twice.

"Umm…."

"Basically, Teltite plus Bealcite equals gnarly boom." Hunter said.

Spyro smirked and got his mind back into the fray; however, a good while into the conflict, the Demi-God started to show signs of fatigue. His swings started becoming slow and laborious, giving the many flying enemies the excuse they needed to latch onto the large dragon and started gnawing on him.

"GRAAAGH!" Spyro roared.

"Hey! Get your dirty fangs off my friend!" Sparx said.

The dragonfly flew toward one of the smaller creatures and delivered a surprisingly strong right hook to its face, causing it to fall from Spyro's arm and into the ocean below. Sparx smacked his fists together and smirked, but another flying creature made its presence known as it prepared to devour him. Before this could happen, Elora jumped in and sliced the beast in two.

"Nice one, Sparx." Elora said, regarding the dragonfly's earlier offensive showing.

"Ah ha…well, you know…" Sparx said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Elora…take this…" Spyro said.

He flicked his fingers and a spark of ether exited from them, coating Elora's blade and transforming it into adamant. The faun nodded and started swinging at the monsters eating at Spyro's arm, her sword releasing broad magic waves as she did. This expedited the process of dislodging the beasts faster, but the damage was already done.

"Great job, Elora! Oh…" Hunter said.

His last comment was directed at the sight of the blood flowing from Spyro's many wounds. Bianca finished up on her end, blasting a wave of the beasts with a powerful fire spell before running over to Spyro's most wounded area, being his right arm, and starting to heal him with her magic.

"Hunter! You take my post while I tend to Spyro's wounds!" Bianca said.

Hunter nodded and notched three flaming arrows simultaneously, before firing them off into a crowd of beats, destroying them. Elora took the position where Hunter used to be and together, they continued to battle the near endless monsters that were attempting to make their quest a short one. Spyro, seeing his friends struggling and knowing how tired he was, started looking desperately for a place to land; however, there was none in immediate sight.

_"Dammit…this is really bad…"_ Spyro thought.

_"Padruo…sagas manahk katehk…"_ Lucid growled from within Spyro.

_"Dammit, Lucid…I really have no time for you…!"_

_"Danalahkt…henehk va venes…kaol lo tahktekht!"_

Even though he had no idea what Lucid was saying, the Demi-God knew that it wasn't good. He looked at his left arm and it was turning black from the hand; not surprisingly, in response to this, Spyro started screaming and thrashing. His friends broke from their battles and witnessed Spyro's body slowly turning black and dark purple. Naturally, they had no idea what was going on and when the black sheen completely covered Spyro's body, his Greater Dragon form completely cancelled out and Lucid had completely taken over. Spyro friends were at that point falling but this didn't last for long; Lucid harshly spread his arms and caught the Demi-God's companions, sealing them in barriers that floated around the black dragon's body.

_"Hagalii…heneska vero sen…battoru senahlii via des! Shia senkt Lucid!"_ Lucid said.

"What language is he speaking…?" Hunter said.

"Could it be…Runic?" Bianca said.

Ignoring them, Lucid charged into the hoard of monsters, leaving a powerful shockwave as he flew forward at an insane speed. One foolish monster charged toward the black dragon; it went for an attack, but it bounced off of Lucid's armor-like scales. The black dragon responded by orienting himself upright and smacking the creature with his tail, sending it careening back into the crowd at an impossible speed. Lucid's soulless eyes locked on the rest of the crowd and he sped forward, lashing out savagely with his claws; the red energy waves following each swing of the Dark Spirit's claws helped in eviscerating large amounts of the crowd. Bathed in blood, Lucid turned toward another section and drew in an massive amount of air, releasing that air in the form of a forceful flamethrower made of purple and white flames; the flames licked the barriers that Spyro's friends were being kept in and while they knew they would be safe, they couldn't resist the powerful fear that the sight of the flames invoked.

After Lucid's rampage, every shadow servant was destroyed and naught but remnants of their forms floated in the miasma-coated air. The black dragon growled and shifted his form into an obese flying creature with small wings; following this, he started hovering around the battlefield, devouring the remains of his victims until naught remained. He released a sound that was a sharp combination between a belch and a roar and then reverted his form…before turning menacingly toward Spyro's companions.

_"Ikiausu…kakatau genaktak…"_ Lucid growled, as he hovered toward the captured group.

"Oh no…he's gonna eat us next!" Hunter said.

"You're probably right on the mark, Hunter…" Sparx said.

Seeing as he created the barriers in the first place, Lucid could control them; he flexed his fingers, bringing them closer together, but as he prepared to devour his helpless victims, beams of light started piercing through his body. Cracks ran through his form, allowing more beams to pierce through. He screamed another runic remark before his form completely shattered, revealing Spyro who was still in his Greater Dragon form. Along with Lucid, the barriers holding Spyro's friends shattered, but Spyro was ready to catch them, so they didn't fall for long. The white dragon was fatigued beyond recognition…but luckily…

"Look…there's the Peace Keepers'…" Sparx said.

"Good…" Spyro said.

He steered toward the land, intent on landing as soon as possible…

* * *

At the Peace Keepers' home, Spyro came in from the skies; he landed and knelt down to allow his friends off of his back. He then immediately reverted, collapsing to the ground on his back.

"Spyro…" Sparx said.

"Hagh…hagh…I'll be fine…I just need…some rest…whoo…" Spyro said. Sparx chuckled.

"Alright. I guess we'll take five, everyone."

"You really want to rest here?" Hunter said.

"It's either that or…I'm sluggish during a major battle. Besides…considering how many of those freaks were flying after us…I would assume that the lot of them were here before they decided…to chase us."

With that logic, everyone sat down to take a break, but they all stayed together just in case. Spyro nodded off to sleep in short order, but sleep didn't come as easily to the other members of the group. Their minds were still on one important topic…

"So that dragon…that monster was Lucid?" Elora said. Sparx nodded.

"I first saw him when I was imprisoned in the Artisan Home. I had no idea how powerful he was, though…" Sparx said.

"Wiping out an entire armada of shadow servants single-handedly…and then eating them. That is a monster that does not need to exist in this world." Bianca said.

"I don't get it. Why doesn't Spyro just get rid of the thing? Won't an exorcism work?" Hunter said. Sparx shook his head.

"The way I understand it, Lucid is latched really tightly onto Spyro's soul. There's no way to remove him without killing Spyro…or at the best, putting him into a coma."

"Oh…"

"When he gets up…we'll get moving."

* * *

After a fifteen-minute nap, Spyro was back up and better than he was when he landed. He walked in front as his team trekked through the tainted Peace Keepers' home; the normally sandy, dusty canyons were dyed gray and not a single breeze blew. The normally clear waters were tainted purple and poisonous and the plant life was dead, save for the black vines weaving around most of the large rock formations. The entire Peace Keeper clan was holed up in cages in the Cliff Town area and as soon as Spyro saw them, he clenched his fists and made a silent promise to himself. Past the Cliff Town, the group came to the entrance to the Ice Cavern; there was a strong miasma pouring out of the cavern entrance.

"Somehow, I think our query lies in there…" Sparx said.

"Yeah…come on, let's go!" Spyro said.

With Spyro leading the charge, the heroes entered the cavern; the Demi-God and Sparx immediately noticed how much colder it was in there. It was also much darker, the only light coming from torches lit in certain areas of the cavern; the light reflected nicely off of the blue ice, but didn't offer a saintly amount of illumination.

"It's really dark…and cold in here." Sparx said.

"I can see that, Sparx. Let me try something…_Spirit Merge, Blazius!_" Spyro said.

He swung Adamatinacor around in the air and then stabbed it into the ground, summoning a magic glyph. He was encased in a fiery orb and when he emerged, the black markings on his body were dyed a deep red and his blue crest exploded into a flowing mane of red and orange hair. The seed in the glass ball on his tail transformed into a small flame and finally, Adamatinacor transformed into Syre's double blades, Blazius Torus. In Spyro's hands, the blades on the swords were coated in adamant. An aura resembling Syre exploded from Spyro's body as the transformation was complete; when the aura settled, it hung around Spyro like a gentle flame, lighting up a large area around the Demi-God.

"How many transformations do you have?" Hunter said.

"Don't be jealous; I'm a God. Well, a God in training. Anyway, let's go." Spyro said.

Now that illumination was no longer a hurdle, the group descended deeper into the cavern, taking care crossing any ice bridges that they came across. After a while of walking, they came to a large room that held a bridge to an icy island that was surrounded by purple water. The group walked to the central island…

"Is this it? A fishing pond?" Spyro said.

_"Oh ho, you have come upon much more than that, tiny one…"_ a voice boomed.

"Quit with the drama and show yourself!" Sparx and Spyro said.

As soon as they did, the water around them started to churn, culminating in a Greater Dragon rising from the water. The dragon was a deep blue hue, somewhat lighter than Spira, and a mane of beautiful violet and white hair calmly danced behind his head. A black scarf circled around the dragon's neck and the scarf's tails danced around his body until they eventually connected to silver bracelets on his wrists. A large blue orb was apparent on his chest and his long horns were golden. He had two tails and each one ended in water crest designs. The dragon breathed a hailstorm from his maw which hit the water, freezing it, so he could land. As was Syre, this dragon was at least twenty-five feet tall and he crossed his arms as he looked at the group before him.

_"My, my…they really sent the cavalry this time…"_ the dragon said.

"To who do I owe the pleasure of meeting right now?" Spyro said with a raised eyebrow.

_"You are speaking to Phyre, Draconian Spirit of the Calm Torrent. Just from looking at you…I can tell that you are Spyro, the new Demi-God."_

"I don't know what has more noise to make: your face or your eyes! I'm only going to say this once: release this realm and I'll spare you a beating!"

_"Ha, ha! Oh, you are one of kind, indeed. You really think that you can best me in mortal combat? You barely look fit enough to challenge a scallop!"_

"Oh, really? Let's see how cocky you are when I shove this blade, or these blades, in your head!"

Spyro got in a battle ready position and then leaped at Phyre, marking the start of another massive clash between spiritually gifted beings…

**_End Chapter Seven. Next Chapter, Heavy Torrent…_**

**_Rhah:_ **I only just now realized that deleted all of my usual cuts. So, I'll have to go back and fix those. I apologize.


	9. VIII: Heavy Torrent

Spyro the Dragon God: Final Story

By Rhah the Last Warlord

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Spyro or any related characters that appear in this story; they are owned by Activision Blizzard or whoever owns them now. I own the scenario, some characters, and the plot.

**Plot:** Spyro has always thought that he was a normal dragon born in the Dragon Realms. However, through many strange events that bring even stranger allies and enemies, a brand new story writes itself in his life…a story that will lead him to ultimately write his name in the history books for Eternity.

**Notes:** It's been a long time coming and it's finally happening. After looking over _Shadows of the Past_ and _XIII Scars_, I finally realized just how badly written and retconned those two stories in particular truly are. So in light of that, in order to make myself feel better and provide a much more enriching experience for my readers, I have decided to redo all three stories and rebuild them into one epic. Of course, it won't just be a straight-up rewrite with grammar corrections, as you will soon see. Not much more to say here than please enjoy.

* * *

_Story I: Shadows of the Past_

_ Spyro had always assumed that he was born and raised in the Dragon Realms. Now, with the Shadow Realm reopening and old secrets coming to light that will change the course of his life, the Shadows of the Past seem to be closing in yet again…_

* * *

_Book I: Reviving the Darkness_

**Chapter 8: Heavy Torrent**

In the Andriola Ocean, in his palace, Seroth was sitting in a chair on the second floor. He was staring off into space, but at the same time, he was glancing over to an empty glass orb.

"…no, he's not ready yet…he's probably getting close, though. Maybe one more burst and he will be able to stand on his own." Seroth said.

He continued spacing, but the sharp sound of a door opening and then footsteps up his stairs snapped him halfway out of his thoughts. To no surprise, the interloper was…

"Oh, Artimus. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Seroth said. Artimus hurriedly looked over to the same orb that Seroth was looking at, but then his eyes half-closed and he frowned.

"Oh…" Artimus said.

"Yes, he's not ready yet…I thought he would be, but he's not. Please don't be mad."

"I…I'm not mad…" Artimus slinked over to another chair and sat in it. He rested his head on his hand. "I'm not…mad…"

The room got awkwardly silent after that. Both of them sat looking at nothing in particular…spacing out in their own special ways. One could assume, however, that the places that both of their minds were going were connected in some way. Finally, Artimus looked up and the wizard returned the look, but only with his eyes.

"Do you think we're too obsessed with the past?" Artimus said.

"You can't be obsessed with something that was ripped out from under you…you can only want to either replace it…or get it back…" Seroth said.

"But even he is not…the way he used to…"

"One thing at a time…one thing at a time…"

They both looked at the empty glass orb once more…an object that was perhaps the key to a greater mystery…

* * *

After Spyro jumped at Phyre brandishing Blazius Torus, the darkened guardian drew his trident and held it defensively, catching Spyro's blow. Phyre's trident was deep blue, becoming sky blue at the head; each point on the head had a red gem embedded in it and there were gold bands going down several points on the weapon. The Demi-God was predictably stunned by the counter and Phyre used the opportunity to hold his hand out and shoot a barrage of sharp ice crystals at the white dragon; Spyro came to his senses just fast enough to project a shield of adamant that protected him. As the ice clashed against the adamant, sparks flew every which way and soon enough, Phyre tired of the fruitless clash and he simply rammed his fist through Spyro's shield, grabbing the Demi-God. He roared in Spyro's face before harshly tossing him into the frozen lake, almost breaking through.

"Crap! Here we come, Spyro!" Hunter said.

He took out an arrow and raked it against a slab of Bealcite, afterward firing it at Phyre. The Draconian Spirit looked at the arrow and prepared to make a remark, but he didn't expect the arrow to explode in his face.

"_Aaargh! Impudent fool!"_ Phyre said.

Phyre pointed his trident at Hunter sending a storm of water and ice at him. Bianca reacted, running to his side and projecting a magic shield that kept them both from harm, however, the power of Phyre's attack broke the shield at its end. Elora ran up next, dodging ice chucks as the Greater Dragon blasted them at her; she jumped and attempted a broad slash with her sword, but Phyre easily blocked with his massive trident.

"_You must truly be a fool if you think that you, a mere _mortal_, can even _harm_ me, much less defeat me." _Phyre said.

The spirit brought his fist up and punched Elora, where she hit the ice in much the same way as Spyro. Speaking of the Demi-God, he had finally recovered from his earlier collision with the ice. In fact, he recovered just in time to see Elora hit the same ice.

"Elora!" Spyro said. He looked at Phyre. "You bastard!"

"_Is that all you can do, new blood? Scream at me?"_ Phyre said.

"How about this? **Inferno Storm!**" Spyro whipped his blades around, producing streams of flame as he did. He swung his blades, sending a twisting storm of flame at his target.

"_**Arctic Dragon!**__"_ Phyre said. He spun his trident, calling up a hailstorm around it before swinging it at Spyro's incoming attack. It tore through Spyro's attack and headed right for the Demi-God.

"**Cross Fire!**" Spyro jumped straight for Phyre's attack but before contacting, swung his blades in an "X" pattern, summoning flames that cut straight through Phyre's attack. "Now! Enough trading! **Phoenix Rush!**"

Spyro held his swords close and he became covered in fire; afterward, he pointed one sword at Phyre and started to fly through the air. Phyre held his trident horizontally in an attempt to block, but Spyro altered his path to go under his trident and then back up, straight into the Greater Dragon's chin. The move hit several times before Phyre was knocked down onto his back; Spyro flipped backward in the air before landing on the ground. However, when he touched down, he dropped one of his swords and gripped his head with one hand; his eyes were half-closed and he was gritting his fangs. Sparx flew over to his friend.

"Spyro! Are you alright?" Spark said. Spyro shook his head.

"Ugh…I feel…dizzy or something, I don't…" Spyro said.

"_Aww…it seems the little Demi-God has used too much power…" _Phyre said. He stood back up as Spyro's friends regrouped around him. _"You are all in way over your heads…none of you mortals can defeat me…and the Demi-God is not trained nearly enough to exert enough energy without running out of steam!"_

"Shut up…I'm tired of you…" Spyro said. He picked up the sword he dropped. "…talking down on my friends and me!"

"Spyro! No!" Elora said.

Spyro charged at Phyre and Elora charged after him. Elora stopped as soon as the Demi-God jumped to make a deft attack against the Greater Dragon, but Phyre simply moved back; he withdrew his trident and lunged back forward, making a grab for his opponent with his massive jaws. Spyro brought his blades up and a flame shield surrounded him; however, when Phyre clamped down with his jaws, the shield fizzled and the white dragon was reverted, his flame shield becoming a simple ether shield as he held Adamatinacor.

"_Let's go for a dip, shall we?"_ Phyre said, as he held Spyro in his jaws.

The Greater Dragon reared back and then dove straight through the ice, into the poisonous water below.

"Spyro!" all of his friends shouted.

* * *

Under the water, there were glowing particles and different types of aquatic plant life that also gave off impressive glows. However, the beauty was lost on Spyro as he was now fighting for his life. He had to keep his shield up in order to prevent the poisonous water from contacting him and to prevent Phyre from fully clamping down with his powerful jaws.

"_Huurgh…this isn't good…"_ Spyro thought.

"_Accept it, new blood; you will die here!"_ Phyre said.

"Like hell!"

Spyro pushed up with everything that he had, finally freeing himself from the Greater Dragon's jaws. However, with him having to move to release himself, his concentration on his barrier faltered, causing it to fail; luckily for Spyro, the water didn't have as much of an immediate detrimental effect on him as he feared it would. Phyre smirked and swam toward the Demi-God, drawing his trident and quickly taking a slice out of Spyro. The Demi-God oozed a white essence and he was angered, taking a broad swipe with Adamatinacor to hit his foe; however, Phyre quickly swam around Spyro, whacking him with his tail to counter. The white dragon sailed through the sea and hit an ice crystal, afterward being gripped by Phyre.

"_Ahh, choices, choices…I could squeeze you, letting your natural reflex to breath cause you to intake some of this venomous cocktail around us…or I can simply crush you with all my might, breaking your bones and leaving you to drown…"_ Phyre said.

"_Damn him…"_ Spyro thought.

"_Spyro, Spyro…sagas menahk katehk…" _Lucid said.

"_Lucid…?"_

"_Koetaal…shia senkt Lucid!"_

Spyro's head wrenched back in Phyre's grip and in the quickest transformation to date, the white dragon was forced to give in to Lucid's power once more. As he appeared, Lucid roared at Phyre and easily wrenched himself free from Phyre's grip.

"_You filthy cur!"_ Phyre said.

"_Kamuo nasku koer!" _Lucid said.

The black dragon swam through the water and gripped the Greater Dragon's neck; even though Lucid was substantially smaller than Phyre, the Greater Dragon still found that he couldn't move from the Dark Spirit's grip. Lucid roared at him once again before swimming to the surface and crashing through the frozen water above with Phyre in tow. The black dragon swung his prey around several times before harshly throwing him into the ice, where Phyre broke through, plummeting back into the water. A thick dark aura surrounded Lucid as he floated in the air, his wings not even beating.

"Lucid!" Sparx said.

"_Hamahk tena yugoar!" _Lucid said. _"Bakuole sakahlnek…katehkii zeal."_

No sooner than he had entered it, Phyre burst back from the water, roaring in savage protest. Lucid fanned his wings and headed right for him, but Phyre drew his trident and started spinning it around, soon causing a tornado of water and ice that swirled around him; Lucid, flying too fast, could not stop himself and ended up inside of the twister. He was shredded by the water and ice energy, afterward being thrown out and onto the ice. Phyre prepared to chase Lucid and continue his attack, but another volley of exploding arrows hit him in the face. He turned toward another corner of the room, where Hunter stood smirking; Phyre blasted an ice beam at him, but Hunter easily dodged. The Greater Dragon was so concentrated on the cheetah that he didn't notice Elora running up his back and to his head; she got to his head and flipped up to Phyre's brow, where she stuck her sword straight into his eye.

"_Aaaaargh!"_ Phyre said.

He grabbed for Elora, but she jumped back and slid down his spine just in time. As Phyre finished reeling, Bianca ran up and held out both of her palms; they gave off a glow momentarily before a volley of magic orbs came forth. Each one hit its target.

"Yeah, yeah!" Sparx said.

"_Egia makatorii…"_ Lucid said.

He jumped from his position on the ice, cracking it, and he became covered in an even thicker aura. He roared as he sailed toward Phyre and he eventually delivered a powerful shoulder charge to the rampaging Draconian Spirit. Phyre hit a wall and just as he did, Lucid reverted back to Spyro, lacking the usual dramatic show that he usually had. Spyro, despite his considerable loss of stamina, saw an undeniable chance; he drew Adamatinacor from his ether and then pulled back over his head. His sword gave off a powerful light.

"**Brilliant Braver!**" Spyro said.

He swung his sword down and slashed Phyre right down the middle, causing the Draconian Spirit to fall from the wall he was previously caught on. Phyre collapsed onto the ice and he didn't move after that; the ice, however, cracked and shattered under the Greater Dragon's weight, dropping him once more into the water. Spyro touched down and then immediately fell to his knees, dropping his sword. He was breathing heavily.

"Spyro…you alright?" Sparx said, as he flew over to Spyro.

"I…I'm just…" Spyro said.

Before Spyro could finish his sentence, Phyre surfaced from the water, without a roar this time. He calmly raised his hands and then spread them apart, causing the ice around the island that Spyro and his friends were standing on to melt.

"Aaagh! Phyre's still up!" Sparx said.

"_Calm yourself, tiny one…I will not attack you further."_ Phyre said. He shook his head and leaned back in the water, against an adjacent wall. _"You mortals and the young Demi-God have relieved me of the evil energy of the Shadow Realm…"_

"Hey…no problem…" Spyro said. He forced himself to his feet, despite Elora trying to force him to sit back down. "But, I've gotta do one more thing before we can talk…"

Following the same basic feeling as when he did it in the Artisan Home, Spyro whipped his sword around and stabbed it into the ground with a roar, causing a wave of divine energy to spread across the Peace Keeper's Home, purging the influence of the Shadow Realm. In no time, the realm was back to normal, with clear water, copper canyons, and freed dragons. Spyro breathed a deep breath through his nose and smiled…before he completely collapsed onto the ground. His sword disappeared before it could hit the ground and then Spyro himself lost his white coloring and his other Godly features, pretty much reverted back to how he was before his ascension.

"Spyro…" Elora said, as she picked Spyro up into her arms.

"_He is so young…and yet he is so valiant. Despite his bravery, however, he is endlessly tortured by Lucid. Seroth…how could he do this? How could he be so bold as to mess with the Gods?" _Phyre said, slamming his fast against the wall he was leaning on.

"Phyre…who exactly is Seroth?" Sparx said.

"_Seroth…I don't know exactly who he is, but he lived on the Holy Plain, Sakur, for a period of time. Considering his actions, however, it is safe to assume that he seeks to purge Renalga of all Draconian blood…save for the Dark Spirit. In fact, I would assume that Lucid is integral to Seroth's brand of madness."_

"But if all he wanted to do was awaken Lucid, why not just do that? Why go through all of this Shadow Realm nonsense?"

"_The Shadow Realm may just have been some kind of distraction…but we cannot know for sure. Only Seroth could tell you a definitive answer. The only thing I do know is that he has his black eyes on Spyro. Despite the Demi-God's undeniable strength and drive, you all must protect him from both Seroth and Lucid. I only pray that the dark wizard doesn't intend to exploit the chaos of Spyro's past."_

"Spyro's past? What do you mean by that?" Hunter said.

"_We Guardians are not the only ones that are scarred by our past…Spyro is, as well."_

"Wait, wait…Spyro, a dragon who's only been in existence for like, fourteen years, is scarred by thousands of years of dragon history?"

"_There is only so much I can tell you. Spira could probably tell you more…but I doubt he'd open up to you simply because you are Spyro's friends."_

"Right, well, we should probably get Spyro out of here so he can heal. I've never seen such injuries on a dragon." Bianca said.

"…_I will assist you. I will fly you back to the Artisan Home. The superficial injuries that I have incurred should not stop me from flying. Come; get on."_

Everyone nodded and climbed on Phyre's back, with Hunter carrying Spyro. As soon as everyone was seated and comfortable, Phyre took off with no delay back to the Artisan Home, particularly the Dragon Dojo…

* * *

As soon as they arrived at the Dojo, everyone quickly explained what had happened; they quickly carried Spyro inside and Phyre sat outside, around the area of the dojo where the once-again-purple dragon was resting. It was the very same room in which Spyro first formally met Spira; he was still unconscious and not even the unmatched healing abilities of Cho-Lei could wake him. Inside, Sparx was hovering back and forth in front of the door; he was slightly startled when the doors opened and Tomas walked out. The elder closed the doors and leaned against them, rubbing his temples; Sparx fluttered up to him and Tomas shook his head. Sparx dipped his head, but Tomas smiled.

"Don't worry; I'm sure that he will awaken at some point." Tomas said.

"…yeah, I guess…" Sparx said. His gaze wandered away a bit.

"Sparx…it sounds like there is something else on your mind…"

"Tomas…this may not be the best time for this, but…I figure I could give it shot. After we freed Phyre…he said that Spyro is scarred by the Draconian past. From his general tone, I assumed that there must be some kind of dark secrets in the Draconian past…"

"And you wish to talk about these secrets? Young Sparx, we dragons do not like to speak of our past needlessly."

"It's not needlessly, though! There's a secret about Spyro hidden in there somewhere…it may be the key to…"

Sparx's words were interrupted by the sound of screaming. Tomas told Sparx to get Spyro's friends and the dragonfly flew off, while Tomas himself kicked in the door. When he did, he found a disturbing site: Lucid was standing right on Spyro's bed, completely separate from the dragon that used to be his vessel. The black dragon was growling and drooling all over Spyro's chest; a powerful, crackling aura was raging around Lucid's body and it was so energetic, it was generating a heat wave around him. Spyro was staring at Lucid with a look of pure fear; the Dark Spirit slowly turned toward Tomas and his black pupils turned sharp as daggers.

"The Dark Spirit!" Tomas said, producing his staff. At that time, Spyro's friends and the rest of the Elders had entered the room with him.

"_Kanataak seitaa kalanehk! Meken segasai tonaht chaos!"_ Lucid said. His voice seemed to growl all around the room and crackled due to his powerful aura.

Tomas drew his hand back, gathering energy from his staff; he released a beam of magic energy at Lucid, but it simply fizzled out inside of the Dark Spirit's powerful aura. Lucid scoffed and raised his paw, that arm taking on an orange coloring with red vein-like marks. He pushed his paw slightly toward the offending group and Tomas immediately erected a powerful barrier. Nothing immediately erupted from Lucid's paw except a small amount of dark energy that seemed harmless; however, soon after he did this, the entire wall behind the group was blown out. Lucid's paw smoked with energy and he turned back toward Spyro, slowly raking his claw against the purple dragon's chest.

"_Hamahk…senalii da…ketalaak Spyro. Ideka manakii…osekoro."_ Lucid said.

He jumped down from the bed and stalked toward a nearby window. He stood on his hind legs and raised his paws, gathering a mass of dark energy. Lucid roared and then threw his paws forward, completely destroying the wall with a concentrated blast of evil energy. He gave one last look toward Spyro's friends and then took off through his self-made exit; storm clouds enveloped Lucid as he took flight and he roared as he got farther away. Spyro on the other hand, fell back once again, not stirring. Hunter ran over to the purple dragon and picked him up into his arms.

"Spyro! Spyro! Come on, wake up!" Hunter yelled. Spyro only responded with a feeble whimper and his body went slack.

"N-no…he can't be…" Sparx said. Cho-Lei walked over to Spyro and put two of her fingers on his forehead.

"No…he's still alive. It's just his ether is so low that he can't even muster the strength to move anymore." Cho-Lei said.

"Ether? Well, that explains why he reverted all the way back to his normal state." Astor said.

"Ether…is it because Spyro's a Demi-God now?" Elora said.

"Yes. A God's powers and strength are derived from his ether level. The more ether a God has, the more powerful he is. Demi-Gods have rather low levels of ether and if they use a large amount of it without recovering, they could enter an unconscious state like this." Magnus said.

"So, unless his ether recovers…" Titan said.

"…he will never wake up." Sensei said. Everyone dipped their heads, until Phyre approached the exit that Lucid made. He sat down with his arms folded.

"_I apologize…despite how close he was, I was incredibly slow in sensing the Dark Spirit's presence. By the time I realized he had appeared again, he was already flying away. However…I may be able to help Spyro. I will pass along my powers to Spyro, along with enough energy to jumpstart not only his ether, but his Godhood as well." _Phyre said.

"But won't such a large exchange of ether have some detrimental effect on you?" Sparx said.

"_Yeah, but Phyre doesn't care…he just wants to be a hero."_ A voice said.

Everyone was immediately on guard and a few seconds after that voice sounded, a bright column of light exploded into the room. As the light dissipated, it was revealed that Spira was the source of the voice. He stood up and looked even better than he had when he first met Spyro. He looked at the gathered crowd and narrowed his eyes.

"Okay, I know you, Tomas…and the other elders…but who the hell are those guys?" Spira said.

"Oh, these are Master Spyro's friends, Lord Spira." Tomas said. "Their names are Elora, Hunter and Bianca."

"Wait, _you're_ Spira?" Hunter said. Spira raised an eyebrow.

"Uhh, yeah? You looking for me or something?"

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you something about Spyro's past…"

"…why would I tell you any of that?"

"Because, Spyro's our friend and we want to know what's going on with this 'God' stuff." Elora said.

"I don't have time to talk about that kind of thing with you." Spira turned away and walked over to Spyro. He ran his head through Spyro's crest. "However, I do have to help Spyro. He's my responsibility, anyway…"

Before anyone could ask any questions, Spira had drawn his sword, Spirayoma. He placed his finger on the blade and then ran it along as quickly as he could, drawing ether from his body without even flinching. He twisted his hand around and eventually formed an orb of pure ether that he held in his hand. The God nodded and then placed that orb up to Spyro's chest, where he forced it inside of the purple dragon's body. A calm aura surrounded Spyro…and then he started to stir. The purple dragon groaned a bit and then opened his eyes, waking up as though from a nightmare. He looked around and then placed his hand on his head.

"Damn…what happened? Last thing I remember is fighting Phyre underwater…" Spyro said. Sparx fluttered up to Spyro and began circling his head and the rest of Spyro's friends ran up and started hugging/rubbing his crest. After a fair time of this, Spira looked at the group and folded his arms.

"Alright, everybody…we get it. Can you give us some space, please?" Spira said.

"Why? We're his friends too, you know!" Hunter said.

"Yeah, Spira; why are you acting so defensive?" Spyro said.

"I'm not your friend, Spyro."

"Um, what? You're seriously going to say that after all of the times you've helped me?"

"Well, I should think that I was obligated to help you. After all…" Spira sat on the bed placed his hand on Spyro's head. "I should think that would be what a good father would do…for his son."

As soon as those words escaped Spira's mouth, all of Spyro's friends backed up and the purple dragon looked at the blue God with his eyes wide and mouth open agape. Even the elders staggered back at the remark. Spira chuckled and stood back up on his feet, looking at Spyro.

"Wait…" Spyro said. He stood up and stood a slight distance away from Spira. "C-come again?"

"That's right; you're my son. I'm your dad." Spira said.

"Did you hit your head?"

"No. I'm not lying, I'm not crazy, I'm not confused. You are Spyro the Dragon. I am Spira the Dragon. You are my son."

Spyro couldn't even move. What was this? Some cruel, Godly joke…or was it really possible that Spira, a Draconian God…was Spyro's father?

"But, what about Sachés and Archema?" Spyro said.

"It seems like you require an explanation…so I will give you one. Sit down; it's story time." Spira said.

Spyro did as he was told and sat on the bed, with Spira squatting on the floor in front of him.

"This story begins…eh, give or take, fifteen years ago…" Spira said…

_**End Chapter Eight. Next Chapter, Wake the Past…**_


End file.
